Follow The Sun Through a Thunderstorm
by RandomSugarRush
Summary: Edward’s life is as lively as the clouds looming over Forks. Then a new girl arrives. She’s a little shy and he can tell she has a haunted past. They become friends, but she suddenly runs away from Forks… leaving Edward without a goodbye. E/B Em/R J/A AH.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N:** Thank you for checking out my story!

**Update - 1****st**** June 2010: **I have updated the first four chapters of this fic. The story hasn't changed any, I've just been altering the a/n's to get rid of some of the rubbish I wrote there.

**To those who have read this from day one! This is announcing that this story is now going to be in parts. What you have read so far is in part one. There will be a break between parts to allow me to write a new fic that I have been working on. I will be continuing to add part two to this, so there is no confusion. So far I'm unsure how many parts there will be, so it's two for now.**

The first chapter is in third person, while most chapters will be Edward's POV, alternating between characters every now and then. I'm trying to stay true to Stephenie Meyer's characters, so if I stray, please let me know and I'll see about fixing it. This story will have Jacob, but he will sadly not be making an appearance until the end of part one (sorry Team Jacob!) But it's not going to be too long to wait.

This story is all human and please keep in mind that I'm Australian, so if you see a word spelled 'colour' instead of 'color', it's not a typo! Lol. But I like being my own Beta, so if there's a definite typo that I missed, please let me know and I'll fix it right up.

**Disclaimer:** Twilight belongs to the one and only Stephenie Meyer. I don't own Edward… because apparently he's not for sale.

The first thing I did for this story was make a playlist. Each chapter has a song that I feel creates the right mood.

**FOLLOW THE SUN THROUGH A THUNDERSTORM**

**PART ONE**

**Chapter 1:** Introducing the Cullens in All Their… Cullen-ness?

**Song:** Say (All I Need) – OneRepublic

Edward stared out his bedroom window, his bright green eyes watching the clouds rolling overhead. Forks, Washington. It was a nice place, sure, but he was tired of rain. This morning there was a light drizzle, enough to make the ground damp and fat drops of water drip from the trees surrounding the three storey house. He sighed, ran a hand through his bronze hair and made his way down to the kitchen for breakfast.

Alice and Jasper sat at the island bar in the kitchen, both finishing a bowl of Cheerio's, as Esme was bustling about the kitchen, cleaning everything in sight. An empty bowl already sat in the sink, which meant that Emmett had already scoffed his food and would no doubt be found in the living room playing a video game on the flat-screen TV. Rosalie had not been downstairs for breakfast yet; she was still in her room standing in front of her vanity, staring at her reflection in the mirror, making sure her hair was just right. Carlisle had already left for work at the hospital.

"Good morning, sweetheart, how did you sleep?" Esme asked Edward as he opened a cupboard and pulled a glass from one of the shelves.

"Fine, I guess," he replied, setting the glass down on the bench and taking a carton of orange juice from the fridge. He filled the glass and put the carton back in the fridge. He leaned on the island bar opposite Alice and Jasper, staring at the smooth marble surface as he sipped at his juice.

"Aren't you going to eat anything?" Esme asked him, placing a hand on his shoulder. Edward shook his head.

"No, I'm not that hungry."

"Ok, but take an apple just in case you get hungry before lunch," she said.

"I will," Edward replied. He couldn't argue with his adopted mother. What she says goes.

"You're looking a little down, Edward. Is something the matter?" Jasper asked as he stood and rinsed his empty bowl in the sink before placing it into the dishwasher. Edward glanced at his older brother but didn't reply. Instead, Alice jumped up from her stool and flitted over to the sink, replicating Jasper's actions.

"Don't worry about Edward, he's just being his usual, moody self," she said.

"Thanks, midget," Edward replied, reaching out and tousling her hair. She tried to duck out of the way, but Edward was too quick for her.

"Great, now I have to go and fix my hair," she complained. However, in usual Alice fashion, she danced her way happily out the kitchen door in search of a mirror. Jasper shook his head, grinning, but moved off to the living room to find Emmett.

"You know, Jasper's right, honey. Are you sure you're ok? I've noticed that you haven't played the piano lately either," Esme said quietly. Edward sighed and finished his juice.

"Yeah, I'm fine. It's just the rain, I guess. I feel like I haven't seen the sun for a century," he said. Esme smiled a little and stroked his face in a motherly way. She took his empty glass and placed it in the dishwasher. He stood up straight, grabbed an apple from the fruit basket and headed off in the same direction as Jasper. Sure enough, Emmett was playing the Nintendo Wii. "Are you guys ready to leave?" he asked, pulling a set of keys out of his pocket.

"Almost… Yes! Take that, Davy Jones!" Emmett bellowed, paying more attention to the game than Edward, who rolled his eyes.

"I'll go and get the girls," Jasper said then, turning and heading up the stairs. Alice, however, met him half-way.

When Alice had joined the family a few years ago, nobody knew what had happened to land her in the system, but she was happier than even a regular person, with energy radiating from her like a beacon. Emmett often teased that she was too full on for her biological parents, so they entered her into the adoption service. Esme originally questioned whether she had ADD, but Carlisle quickly shot that notion down. There was nothing medically wrong with Alice; she was just naturally chipper. But she seemed to have a heightened intuition. She knew just what people were going to say, before they said it, and knew what was going to happen before it did.

She skipped her way down the remaining steps and flitted across the room to Edward.

"Were you going to school without this?" she asked, holding out his backpack – he'd left it in his bedroom.

"Oh, thank you, Alice. I forgot all about it," he said, frowning. It really was unlike him to forget anything, let alone just this one instance. Alice noticed this and she began to interrogate him as he dropped the apple into the bag.

"Ok, that's it! What is your problem? And don't give me any nonsense about the bad weather." She gave him a stern look; a look not to be messed with. Alice may be a happy person, but when she gets mad, she's terrifying. Edward sighed again.

"I'll tell you later, Alice," he replied, gazing at her half-heartedly, "I promise."

"Good. You'd better keep that promise too," she replied. Another moment passed and her face lit up again. "Come on, let's get to school. Today's going to be a good day, I just know it."

Edward slung his backpack over his shoulder and moved towards the front door. He waited for Jasper and Rosalie while Alice danced her way out the door to wait in Edward's car.

Jasper came downstairs a few moments later, alone.

"Don't worry about Rose, she said she'll take her M3," he said as he walked towards the door. Edward nodded and turned to face Emmett.

"Em, are you coming with us, or are you going with Rosalie?" he asked, hoping Emmett would hear over the ruckus coming from the game. Emmett didn't reply, so Edward just turned and walked through the door, closing it behind him. Rosalie would drive him to school when she was ready.

Edward opened the door to his silver Volvo and climbed in. He stuck the keys into the ignition and revved the engine. It had a nice purr, courtesy of Rosalie, who knew more about cars than anyone else in the family. She had an unusual interest in cars, and had set out to learn all she could about them. Edward thought she'd be afraid of grease, due to her vanity, but didn't say anything because he knew she'd do something to his car while he was sleeping.

"Where's Emmett?" Alice asked from the backseat she was sharing with Jasper. Edward glanced at her in the rear-view mirror as he answered and accelerated down the winding driveway.

"He's riding with Rosalie today," he said, his eyes now turned onto the road ahead.

It didn't take long to reach the school and find a vacant space in the parking lot. The Volvo glided smoothly into an empty lot and Edward cut the engine. They climbed out and made their way slowly towards the school buildings. Passing some other cars in the lot, Edward noticed for the first time, an old Chevy truck, the red paint severely faded.

"I told you today would be good! There's a new student!" Alice began bouncing as they walked towards the school buildings. There was no doubt that she was right, not only because of her intuition, but the atmosphere coming from the other students. The air was buzzing with excitement and anticipation.

* * *

**A/N Update! **This fic now has its own site! I'd be very happy if you have a quick look. I'm slowly updating features, but it should be really easy to follow so far. So far, there's the banner and the playlist that you can listen to as you read!

Just type **www**[dot]**ftstat**[dot]**blogspot**[dot]**com **into your browser and it should lead you straight to it! There's absolutely no reason why I've created the site, but the independence of it is exhilarating! I would really love your support :)

Anyway, please leave me a review! I love that people are adding this to alerts and favourites, but that doesn't tell me how I'm doing! I like to know what you like and don't like, so that I can give everyone an all round enjoyable story :)

Thanks!

Melissa Kae  
a.k.a.  
RandomSugarRush :)


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N:** Thank you to those who have acknowledged my wishes and reviewed! I'm so grateful!

**Disclaimer: **I don't own Twilight, Stephenie Meyer does.

**Chapter 2:** I Have a Sudden Appreciation for a Crowded Hallway

**Song:** You and Me - Lifehouse

**EPOV**

I'd had that dream again. I couldn't stop thinking about it. The woman in my dream was telling me to run. Something was coming, I could feel it. I'd been having the dream for a few months now, they'd just started one day and I've rarely had a break from them since. Every morning I'd wake up covered in cold sweat and gasping. Normally, a dream like this wouldn't have worried me so much, in fact, I'd had worse.

Except that the woman giving me the warnings was my biological mother. Almost every night, I'd see a near carbon copy of my face, the same hair and eyes. My mother, whom I hadn't seen since she died when I was nine, was panic stricken, tears in rivers down her cheeks. It was hard to see my mother like this; it was hard to see her at all. I'd loved her very much and then she and my father had taken ill, both at the same time. If it weren't for Carlisle, I'd probably be buried with them. I had begun to show the same symptoms, but Carlisle's quick eye and administration of the correct antibiotics, had saved me from almost certain demise.

I snapped out of my reverie of staring out of my bedroom window, only because of a nagging at the back of my mind that reminded me that I had somewhere to be. Oh, right, I have to get to school.

It's the same routine. Get ready for school, go to school, go home and sleep. Eating occasionally, of course, but it's still all the same.

So I was generally surprised when I'd arrived at school this morning. Even though Alice's freaky intuition had told us there would be something different about today, I still didn't really believe it until I saw the Chevrolet truck parked in the school parking lot.

I went to my locker before my third class of the day and swapped a few items before I headed to American History. I grabbed the apple from my bag and ate a few bites before entering History. I tossed the half-eaten fruit into a trash can just outside of the room, before entering and taking my assigned seat at the back. Even though I'd walked to class reasonably slow, I still managed to be the first to arrive. I knew why this was of course. Most of the other students were busy catching up in the hallways and filling each other in about the news of the new girl. I'd heard a little about her, but otherwise given her little thought. A lot of the hormone driven males in the school had only one thing on their minds, naturally. And the girls were just hanging to know every detail of the girls' life, just so they could say that they were the first to know. High school, blech!

Only a few other students managed to arrive before the teacher, and obviously the teacher was expecting tardiness. All of those who arrived afterwards, all received detentions before the teacher began the lesson. I didn't pay much attention; I couldn't concentrate with the droning from the teacher and the whispers of the students. Instead, I stared out of the window beside my desk. I watched the clouds again, their monotonous crawl across the sky, leaving their dreary evidence behind them in the form of puddles the size of swimming pools. I was so involved that I almost didn't hear the bell ring. I collected my belongings and made my way to English.

I was still in a trance-like state, not really watching where I was going, when I suddenly bumped head on into Angela Weber. Her books scattered to the floor and I bent to help her pick them back up again, mumbling an apology. She assured me that she was fine and when I stood up straight, Eric Yorkie brushed past me in a hurry.

"Hey, Bella!" he called out, waving a hand above his head. I frowned. Angela noticed this and decided to fill me in.

"Have you met Bella yet, Edward? She just moved here from Arizona, I think. That's what Jessica told me anyway," she said, looking in the girls' direction. I followed her gaze and saw a brown haired girl standing at a locker, stuffing books inside. She turned towards Eric with a shy gaze and her cheeks flushed as she muttered a hello.

Something in me sprung to life. I felt like I'd just woken up from a deep slumber. I watched in wonder as I took in her features, drinking up every little detail. Her eyes were a warm chocolate brown, hidden under thick lashes. Her skin was a beautiful cream colour and something in me just wanted to walk over to her and touch her arm, just to see how soft her skin was.

"Uh, no, I haven't met her yet," I said shaking my head, trying to focus on the question I'd been asked. Angela just nodded and continued on her way to class. She was a nice girl, Angela, unusually content for a teenager and never involved herself in the gossip in the hallways. For that I was thankful; I'm sure she noticed me staring at Bella. Bella; her name suited her, it was beautiful. I'm also almost certain that if I'd seen Bella in an empty hallway, she'd notice me staring too and I'd have been quantifiably embarrassed. I'd never be able to live that down, especially if she told others. I sighed and headed off towards English, where I sat and thought about the beauty I'd finally set my eyes on.

I sat, as usual, with my siblings at lunch. In front of me was a slice of pizza and I was picking at it absent-mindedly, staring at the tabletop and shoving small portions of food into my mouth, chewing slowly. Emmett and Jasper were arguing over the video game that Emmett was playing this morning, while Alice and Rosalie were flipping through the current issue of _Cosmopolitan_. I sighed for no reason, lost in my thoughts, which gained Alice's attention fully. Her head snapped up from the magazine and she stared at me with narrowed eyes.

"Edward? _Edward_," she said, snapping her fingers at me to break me out of my daydream. I blinked and my eyes met hers. "What is your problem? Honestly, you've been acting weird all day."

"It's nothing, Alice. I'm fine," I said, trying to look innocent. However, Alice knew me too well to know when I was lying. Anyone else would've just shrugged and moved on, but not her.

"Don't give me that, Edward. I know when you're lying. Spit it out!" she said, her tone harsher than before. She was getting annoyed, which boded ill for everyone in a ten mile radius. I sighed again and broke eye contact. I stared back down at the table. Rosalie spoke next. She had a hand on Alice's arm to silence her.

"Alice, stop for a minute. Look at his face. I have never, _ever_ seen that expression on Edward's face before. Do you know what that is?" she asked, her lips pulled up into a smug smile. She now had Emmett and Jasper's attention. They, however, were not as perceptive as the girls and both looked confused. Alice's face lit up. Rosalie continued, "I think it's finally happened."

Now I stared at her, frowning. I don't know exactly what she was thinking, but I had a pretty good idea, I could see it in her eyes. I shook my head. Alice jumped up from her seat and ran around the table so that she now stood by my side. She surprised me next by flinging her arms around me.

"Oh, Edward, this is great news!" she squealed into my ear. She pulled back and looked at me, her eyes livid with excitement. "So who's the lucky girl?"

How did they do it? I couldn't understand how girls could tell what you're feeling, just by looking at your face. What does my face look like right now? Well, I admit that I must look a little weirded out at the moment. I mean, my sister just hugged me in a cafeteria full of students! But how did she know? Do I look lovesick or something? Oh, God. I put my head in my hands and rested my elbows on the table and groaned.

"What's this? Edward's found a girl? That's sweet, man! Who is she?" Emmett boomed, holding a fist mid air, waiting for me to smack it with my own. I turned my head to glare at him. He slowly dropped his hand back to the table.

"Wasn't there a new girl starting today? That's a bit of a coincidence, don't you think?" Jasper said then, grinning. Alice shrieked.

"Oh, of course, this is terrific! What's she like, Edward?" she asked, sitting back in her own seat. I couldn't stand their teasing anymore. I slapped my palms down on the tabletop and glared at Alice.

"I don't know, Alice! I haven't even spoken to her yet!" I hissed through my teeth, not wanting any extra attention. I stood, frustrated, picked up my lunch tray and stalked off towards the exit, dumping my half eaten lunch into the trash on my way past. I certainly had no appetite now. I shoved the cafeteria doors open so hard that they banged loudly against the walls. Terrific, now I probably had the entire student body staring at me… which probably meant that Bella was too. I smiled at the thought as I made my way to biology.

I took my seat at my desk and returned to staring out the window. The bell hadn't rung yet, so once again, I was the first to arrive. I got lost in my thoughts as other students began to file in through the door. _Will I ever get the chance to talk to Bella? Is she even in any of my classes? There was only Biology and Spanish left, but what if she was in neither? How would I get to talk to her then?_ I vaguely heard the bell ring and Mr Banner came into the room. The murmuring slowly died down and I heard the seat beside me scrape on the tiled floor.

What?

That never happened. I always sat by myself in Biology, ever since my old lab partner moved away just after the semester started. I casually looked up to see who had taken the seat beside me.

It was Bella.

I couldn't help but stare at her for a few moments before eventually catching myself. _I refuse to be a freak. I refuse to be just another one of the hormone driven boys that overpopulated the school. I refuse to stop examining the scorch mark on the surface of the table._

"Hello," I said. _Damn my stupid big mouth to hell!_ "My name is Edward Cullen." I finally looked up. She was looking right at me, her cheeks pink.

"Um, Bella," she replied. Her voice was beautiful, like ten thousand angels all singing at once. Well, to me at least. I half smiled as she flushed even more and looked down at the desk in front of her.

Damn it, I was probably grinning like the Cheshire cat. I've officially freaked her out.

* * *

**A/N:** Thanks for reading! As always, I really appreciate it if you take a few moments to review.

Melissa Kae :)


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N:** Thanks for reviewing!

This is the first Bella POV.

**Disclaimer: **Twilight and all of its characters belong to the one, the only, the magnificent Stephenie Meyer!

**Chapter 3:** Who the Hell is This Guy and Why Does He Want to Talk to Me So Bad? I Kind of Like It…

**Song: **Long Shot – Kelly Clarkson

(Starts at the beginning of the same day)

**BPOV**

I barely slept at all last night. I'd been in Forks for exactly three days and I wasn't yet used to the constant sound of rain on the roof. I looked over at my clock and the display read five thirty. I sighed and sat up, tossing the blankets towards the foot of the bed. There wasn't much point in attempting to get any more sleep. I stood, crossed the room and pulled open my bedroom door. As I crossed the hallway to the only bathroom, I could hear my dad fixing himself some breakfast in the kitchen.

Charlie was an okay guy; he was the Chief of Police in this dingy little town and probably knew the locals better than he knew me. I don't care though. I'm only here because of two reasons; one, my mum Renee wanted to travel with her new husband Phil as he went away for baseball games and two, everything in Phoenix reminded me of _them_ – the two other people I would never ever see again. Even though I know the whole thing was an accident, but I just can't stop believing that it was my fault.

And so here I am, staring at my reflection in the bathroom mirror a few months after the incident, wondering how my life had turned out like a horror movie. No matter where I go, the ghosts of the past will always haunt me and fate will be watching my every move, waiting for the right moment to make me its victim once again. Nowhere I go will ever be safe, even with Charlie around. He can't watch over me every second of the day.

I stripped off my clothes and tested the hot water before stepping under the steaming flow. As much as I wanted the shower to relax my muscles, I knew it just wouldn't. I was wound too tightly. I stayed under just long enough to wash my hair and body before turning the water off and stepping out, wrapping a towel around me. I moved back over to the basin to brush my teeth and then pulled out a small orange bottle I'd stashed in my toiletries bag, tipping two small pills into the palm of my hand. I filled a glass with water and took the pills.

Putting the bottle back into the bag, I made my way back to my room to get dressed. I'm not even sure why I was hiding them; Renee had most likely told Charlie about them – not that he'd bring it up in a conversation anyway. I opened a drawer and pulled out a pair of dark blue jeans and a white long sleeved t-shirt. I pulled a deep purple sweater from the closet and threw it on over top. Taking my time, I gathered up a few things I'd need for today; it was my first day at Forks High School. I sat on my bed, staring at the dull grey clouds through my bedroom window.

I glanced at my clock again a short while later and saw that it was now a quarter to seven. I was in no rush, which meant I had plenty of time to scrape up something for breakfast. Charlie was a hopeless cook, and rarely had food in the cupboards. I'd already made a shopping list of ingredients we needed, which I planned to buy right after school.

Charlie had surprised me yesterday by giving me a homecoming present… the Black's old Chevy truck, faded red paint and all. I was actually surprised at how much I liked it and also surprised that Charlie would even think about getting me my first car; after all, we'd never spoken about it. I was glad though because that meant I didn't have to catch a ride to school or wherever in Charlie's police cruiser.

There was less in the kitchen than I initially thought. However, I did manage to find an unopened box of cereal in one of the almost bare cupboards and half a carton of milk in the fridge. I found a bowl and spoon and sat down at the small kitchen table to eat. I ate slowly, staring out the window and dreading the day ahead. I was going to be the new girl. For days, maybe even weeks, there would be people staring at me like I was some kind of animal performing circus tricks, their mouths agape. I shuddered at the thought as I rinsed the bowl and spoon in the sink. It kind of reminded me of a song I'd heard on the radio for the past couple of weeks, only the song was in a different context.

I didn't exactly want to make new friends. Ever since the accident, I've had the constant urge to not get attached to anyone, just so that I can avoid living through my nightmare again. Things are bad enough as it is, I don't need things to get worse. It was now that I decided that I wouldn't give anyone the chance to get to know me, nor I them. I'd talk to people of course, because I didn't want them to think I was a snob. Ignoring them was just rude.

I still had some time to kill, so I put a load of laundry into the washing machine. I waited until it finished before stuffing it into the dryer and then heading off to school. I cringed at the rain as I drove towards the small high school. I was still early, so there weren't many cars in the parking lot. I found a space and climbed out of the truck. I took one look at my surroundings and knew instantly that today was going to be a long day.

I sat in my fourth period Trigonometry class, waiting for the teacher to arrive, with a girl with long brown hair. I was silent but the girl, whose name I hadn't yet remembered, seemed to talk _at_ me, not _to _me. Not that I was really listening – she was just talking about some guy named Mike, who was in my English class. I only remembered the name because she said it several times in every sentence and he had made sure to introduce himself to me as he sat at the desk next to me in English. I was still trying to get over the unnecessary attention in the hallway just now. A guy named Eric, who had volunteered to be my tour guide, had called my name so loud, that most of the people in the hallway turned to stared at me. I tried to hide my face by focusing on stuffing books into my locker, but failed miserably. I could feel my cheeks burning at the mere memory.

I was saved from the incessant babble when Mr Varner walked into the room. The girl turned towards the front as the murmurs from the rest of the students died down. Mr Varner placed a stack of papers on his desk before addressing the class.

"Good morning, everyone, I believe we have a new student with us today. Isabella Swan, can you please come up here so I can sign your slip?" he said. He took a seat as I stood from mine and I slowly walked to the front of the classroom, my cheeks burning hotter with every step. I hoped that he didn't make me introduce myself in front of the entire class. I reached his desk and he spoke again, only quieter and directed only at me. I sighed in relief.

"Welcome, Isabella, I hope you're enjoying Forks so far."

I didn't comment on Forks, but I did correct my name.

"Actually, Mr Varner, I prefer Bella."

"Alright, then Bella it is. You may now return to your seat," he said returning the signed slip back to me. I turned quickly and my left foot got caught on my right one. I stumbled, but managed to stable myself before I had the chance to hit the floor. Stifled giggles erupted around the room and my face burned. Great, that's just… terrific. I sat back down in my seat and prepared to endure the rest of the hour.

The girl with the brown hair, who reminded me that her name was Jessica, invited me to sit at her table during lunch. I agreed only because I'd had no other offer. I was silently hoping that people avoided her because of her constant talking, just so there wouldn't be many people at the lunch table. However, it was just my luck that she was one of the more popular girls and the table was packed.

All but one of them, a girl named Angela, threw questions at me from left, right and centre. I barely had a chance to eat my food as I was trying my best to give an answer that wouldn't give away too much about me. Angela kept sending me sympathetic smiles, for which I was grateful. She seemed like the only considerate person at the table. Still, I'd remind myself tomorrow to sit at a different table.

About half way through lunch, the questions died away a bit, giving me a chance to take in my surroundings. I looked past the shoulders of Mike and a guy whose name I couldn't remember, and saw a short girl with choppy black hair practically choke a boy with bronze coloured hair. I could only just see his face, and I almost laughed out loud at his stunned expression. I probably would have, if every time I laughed I felt like I was betraying those whom I lost; they'll never laugh again. I quickly dropped my eyes to my plate of… whatever it was… and started poking it with my fork. I wasn't even sure it was edible. I'll have to pay more attention when buying my lunch next time.

"I wonder what's got _him_ so worked up," Jessica said, watching someone across the room. I looked up just in time to see the bronze haired boy shove open the cafeteria doors with a loud bang and storm quickly from the room. _Strange, _I thought, _someone hugs him and he gets angry. Maybe I should keep clear of him_. Despite my thoughts, my curiosity was peaked.

"Who was he?" I asked quietly. Jessica was the one who replied.

"That was Edward Cullen. He and his siblings are all foster children of Dr Cullen and his wife –," she was cut off by Mike.

"They're all a bunch of freaks, especially the big guy. Every time you get near them, he looks like he wants to bite your head off. They belong in a circus."

Well, that's nice of him. I would've ignored his comment completely if all of the others around the table hadn't agreed with him, with the exception of Angela of course. She pursed her lips, but didn't say anything. I just frowned.

"They're a bunch of snobs, that's what they are," said a girl with blonde hair. I don't even think I was introduced to her. "Just because their parents have money, they think they're better than the rest of us. They don't even _talk_ to anyone besides the teachers."

"Yes, exactly, especially Edward," Jessica agreed, "He's the hottest guy in school and he could have any girl he wants, but he turns them all down."

I could have sworn that there was a hint of regret in her voice. _She didn't! _I almost laughed out loud again. Just the thought of Jessica of asking that guy out when she knew he was out of her league was hilarious. I think the blonde girl noticed my smirk because she scowled at me.

I ended up arriving in Biology right on the bell because three different people were trying to get some last minute questions in before class. I quietly said that I had to get to class and left them standing in the hallway.

I looked around the room for a seat, and the only one that was vacant, was right next to the Cullen guy. Well, I guess that keeping clear of him wasn't going to happen. As I took my seat, the chair dragged loudly across the tiles, causing the boy to look up. I felt the instant flush to my cheeks as I sat down. I watched him out the corner of my eye – he was staring. Just as I chanced a glance at him, his eyes lowered to a spot on the table and didn't move. He looked a little shocked. Did people really avoid his family as badly as Mike had said earlier? I was about to take my slip to the teacher, but a voice stopped me in my tracks.

"Hello, my name is Edward Cullen."

I stared at him, first of all, because it surprised that he had even addressed me. Great, now I'm getting attention from someone who didn't want attention either. Did I have a neon sign super-glued to my forehead?

I was also caught up in… just… _him_. Up close, his features were stunning. He had smooth pale skin, a chiselled jaw, a perfectly straight nose, and the most startling green eyes I had ever seen. Jessica was right, he was incredibly good looking. I hadn't really noticed from across the cafeteria. He looked at me and I felt as though all of my carefully placed barriers had just melted away into nothing. And I felt vulnerable.

I remembered that he had introduced himself, and thought it would be wise to do the same; after all, he didn't look as angry as before.

"Um, Bella," I said timidly, as I watched his lips twitch up into a crooked smile.

_Whoa!_

My heart took off, beating so rapidly in my chest that my breath caught for a moment and the lack of oxygen forced me to look away. I didn't want to think about what my face looked like.

Without looking back at Edward, I took my slip to Mr Banner and prayed that this time, I wouldn't trip. Even though it happened on a regular basis, humiliating myself in front of the entire class was never fun. But for some reason – no, I _knew_ the reason – I _really_ didn't want to trip this time. Placing careful footsteps, one in front of the other, I made my way to Mr Banner's desk without any mishaps. Mr Banner signed the slip, and I prepared to make the return journey.

I was doing pretty well… until I looked up from the floor. I caught Edward's gaze again and stumbled over my feet… again. Why did this always happen to me? Did I piss off some higher being?

This time I landed on the floor. I heard the shocked gasp of the students closest to me, as well as the crash of a stool to the floor. Before I knew it, two strong hands were lifting me off the cold tiles.

"Bella, are you okay?" Edward asked as he helped me up. It took me a few seconds to realise what had happened as I fell. I heard people gasp, but none of them were staring at me. They were staring at Edward. He'd jumped up from his stool so fast that he'd knocked it over in his haste. I stared around at the stunned faces of the other students before answering.

"I'm fine. That kind of happens to me a lot. I think it's genetic." I scrutinised his face for a few moments and saw nothing but concern. He opened his mouth to say something, but Mr Banner beat him to it.

"Okay, everyone, back in your seats and open up to page fifty nine of your textbooks," he said making his way down the isle towards Edward and I. "Are you alright, Miss Swan? That looked like quite a tumble."

"Yeah, I'm okay," I replied nodding. He nodded once in return and turned and walked back to the front of the class. I sat at my desk while Edward recovered his stool from the floor. He still wore a frown on his face.

"Are you sure you're alright?" he murmured so that Mr Banner couldn't hear. I nodded again and replied in the same hushed tone.

"Yes, Edward, I'm perfectly fine." My elbow hurt a little, but I wasn't going to tell him that. I think he saw through me though, because his brows were still puckered.

"I want you to copy the diagrams on page fifty nine and when you're done you can talk _quietly_ amongst yourselves," Mr Banner said, sitting at his desk and shuffling through a stack of papers that sat on the wooden surface.

I realised that I had forgotten to ask Mr Banner for a textbook, but before I had a chance to raise my hand, a thick book slid across the desk and stopped in front of me. I looked up at Edward and his face was smooth once again.

"You can use it if you like," he said softly. I had to blink several times to pull myself out of his hypnotic gaze. Why was he being so nice to me? Jessica and Mike had said that the Cullens were horrible people, making Edward out to be the worst. This is the exact opposite of what they had told me. He was being kind. He was talking to me and sharing his textbook.

But despite all of that, I wasn't used to such treatment. Sure I had Renee, Charlie and Phil, but this was different. Ever since the accident those few months ago, I'd been treated as though I was invisible. People stopped talking to me in school, and most had made the point of avoiding me. I had no friends left, and Edward seemed to be the only one to _really_ talk to me since it happened. I was swept over with a wave of grief, quickly replaced with relief, and then guilt. And that didn't escape his notice.

"Uh, sure, thanks," I replied. I watched as his face remained serene, while his eyes studied mine. I realised then that I would never be able to lie to him because he would know instantly. He would read my every emotion, and hear every flaw in my speech. And my eyes would betray me every time I tried.

I was quiet as I opened the textbook to the correct page and copied the diagrams in silence. There wasn't really much to them, and I finished quickly. I noticed that Edward had finished ahead of me, so I closed the book and pushed it back towards him.

"Thanks," I murmured, as he pushed the book aside.

"It's no problem. I'm happy to help out," he replied, smiling that crooked smile. His eyes were sincere. Mike and Jessica definitely had it wrong. He must have just been upset at lunch in the cafeteria. I only found one thing wrong with Edward and that was that I'd promised myself that I wasn't going to make new friends, but that's all he seemed to want to do. I had to push him away.

"So, you're from Arizona?" Edward asked me quietly, so that he wouldn't disrupt any of the other students. I hesitated before I answered. To be honest, I was a little shocked that that kind of information about me had spread so quickly.

"Yes," I said simply. _Remember, don't tell them too much about yourself, don't get attached,_ I reminded myself. I looked at him and burning in his emerald eyes was the urgency for more information. I sighed and looked down at my notebook.

"You miss it," he stated. He sounded so sure of himself.

"No," I replied. It wasn't a lie. I didn't miss Arizona, I missed my mum and Phil and the sun. I didn't really need to be in Arizona to see either of them. Thinking about Arizona only brought pain, because it's where _that _happened. Edward frowned again and opened his mouth to say something, but shut it again. He sat and thought for a moment before asking me another question.

"Did something happen there?" he asked quieter than before. I was right earlier, he could see right through me.

"I don't want to talk about it," I snapped, my voice trembling, barely above a whisper. I forced my eyes shut to push away the memories that were fighting their way into my head. I knew the more I thought about it, the quicker the tears would come and having Edward asking me questions about it, just made it worse.

When I opened my eyes again, I looked up at Edward, about to apologise for my behaviour, but one glance at his face and I could tell that he was mentally kicking himself for asking such a personal question. I couldn't have that. I hated making people unhappy, and Edward's eyes were filled with sadness and… concern? I brushed away the thought.

"Please, don't take it personally. I just… I don't like to talk to _anyone_ about it, so…" My voice trailed off. I didn't know what else to say to appease him. He just nodded thoughtfully, but concern was still written across his face. I couldn't understand why he looked so concerned; after all, we'd only just met. We sat for a few awkward moments in silence before Edward spoke up again.

"So, what kind of music do you listen to?"

_Is he for real? He's asking what _music_ I like. This is too weird._

"I… uh… I don't really have a favourite type," I replied. What I said was true. I had favourite songs, but not a chosen genre.

"Okay, then what's your favourite song?" he asked. I stared at him like he was crazy, but blinked a couple of times and brought myself back to my senses.

"No," I replied flatly.

"What do you mean no? That wasn't a yes or no question," he said frowning again. I decided I didn't like it when he frowned; it made his face all crinkly.

"You'll laugh," I replied. His face smoothed out, understanding now what I'd meant.

"What if I promise not to?"

"What if you do anyway?"

"A little trust, please, Bella," he replied sighing. I gave in.

"Claire de Lune," I was prepared for the worst reaction, but his eyes seemed to light up.

"You like Debussy?" he asked, smiling.

"I like that song," I replied.

"It's one of my favourites too. Maybe I could play it for you sometime?" he said. The way he said it though, was indicating that he was looking forward to seeing me after today. That wasn't a good thing on my behalf, but I just wasn't concentrating on keeping up with my vow.

"You play the piano?" I asked, shocked.

"Since I was about four years old," he answered. He wasn't smug or bragging, but he said it in a matter-of-fact way; he was just being honest.

Our conversation was cut short, however, by Mr Banner telling the class to copy some notes from the blackboard. We didn't get another chance to talk before the bell rang.

I stood slowly, careful not to stumble and put my notebook into my backpack. I wasn't looking forward to my next class. I'd never done well in gym; my equilibrium had never allowed me the chance.

I noticed that Edward had waited until I was done putting my things away before walking with me out of the class.

"What class do you have now?" he asked. I didn't miss the hope in his voice.

"Gym," I answered simply. I watched as his face fell a little.

"Then I guess I'll see you tomorrow?" he asked, his voice still sounding hopeful. I nodded slowly.

"Yeah, I guess."

"It was nice talking to you, Bella," he said as he turned and walked off towards his next class. I don't know why, but it felt as though a piece of me was walking away with him.

"Bye," I said, pathetically. He was already too far away to hear me. I sighed and slowly made my way to gym.

* * *

**A/N **Yeah, that ending was a bit abrupt, it was 1am when I wrote and posted it. Hope you guys liked it! The next chapter will be EPOV. Expect some Edward/Alice fluff :) I'm trying to keep the close bond between the two that they have in the series.

I think there was a word jumble in this chapter somewhere, but when I re-read it, I couldn't find it. If you do, please let me know!

Thanks for reading! As always, please review!

Melissa Kae :)


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N: **Thanks for the reviews! I love hearing from you all!

I searched high and low for a suitable song for this chapter but I really couldn't find one that fit. So, I just decided to put some of songs that I was listening to at the time.

**Disclaimer:** Wow, it's only the fourth chapter and I've already run out of original ways to say that Twilight and all of its characters belong to Stephenie Meyer.

**Chapter 4: **Annoying Little Pixie… If She Weren't My Sister, I'd Squish Her like a Bug

**Songs:** Forever May Not Be Long Enough - Live  
Drive - Incubus  
Never Gonna Be Alone - Nickelback

**EPOV**

I couldn't figure out what was wrong with Bella. I knew it had to do with her past in Arizona. When I asked her about it, her eyes turned sad. I'm not sure she noticed it herself, but I certainly did.

I took my seat in Spanish, beside Emmett, as usual. He looked up as I took my books from my bag.

"Hey, Bro, you look better," he said. I raised my brows at him. "Aw, come on man, don't give me that. It's written all over your face."

I couldn't stop the small chuckle that escaped my lips.

"It's that obvious, huh?" I asked. He nodded and pulled an apple from his bag and practically ate half of it in one bite. "Em, lunch was only one hour ago and you're already eating?"

He simply shrugged and said, "I'm a growing boy."

I snorted at him, rolling my eyes. For as long as I could remember, Emmett had always been a big eater; always the one to have two plates of food at every mealtime. I know he's tall and has a lot of muscle mass, but I could never figure out where he put it all.

Emmett had joined the family three years after me, when he was thirteen. Rosalie had been out for a walk one afternoon and had come across him running out from the nearby woods, panicked and dirty. He told her that he was hiking and camping with his parents. He then said that a tree had fallen on their campsite during the night, missing his tent by inches. His parents weren't so lucky. He'd been wondering in the woods for days, desperately trying to find his way to the nearest town to tell somebody.

Rosalie immediately took him to Carlisle, never letting him out of her sight. She begged Carlisle and Esme to let him join the family; to show him the kindness that they'd shown her just one year before. She even said that she'd like to have someone her own age in the family. I'm only a year younger than her, but I wasn't complaining. She had never been particularly nice to me and never went out of her way to do so. I honestly didn't mind, because the situation didn't just suit her, it suited me too.

Rosalie got someone her own age and was comfortable with.

I got a big brother.

Mrs Goff and the last few students entered the room and I opened my notebook. I heard Emmett take another bite into his apple and it seemed as though I wasn't the only one who heard.

"Mr Cullen, there's no food allowed in the classrooms. You've been told time and time again…" Mrs Goff said sternly. She continued on to telling Emmett to get rid of the apple, but I had already turned my mind back to Bella.

I couldn't help but wonder what had happened back in Arizona to make her so unhappy. My mind created many scenarios, none of which I'd particularly wanted to be the correct assumption. I imagined someone close to her dying, a bad break up – she must have had plenty of guys wanting to go out with her, the way she looked. That only led me to the idea that maybe one of them had hurt her, not just by break up or cheating, but by other means…

I felt a thump on my right shoulder. I flinched and started rubbing the spot where Emmett had just punched me. I frowned at him. That hurt!

"Dude, calm down," he said. I think he meant to whisper, and he probably did, but his whisper is the equivalent to someone speaking at a normal volume. So, of course, the teacher heard him.

"Mr Cullen, is there something you'd like to share with the class?" Mrs Goff asked him. He grinned.

"My, you look lovely today, Mrs Goff," he said, his grin getting wider. Mrs Goff simply stood there, stunned that he actually had the cheek to say that to her.

What a suck-up!

However, I had realised why he punched my shoulder. As I was lost in my thoughts of Bella's past, my hands had automatically gripped the edges of my desk. I could only imagine what my face looked like. I was fuming over something that probably didn't even happen. I took a deep breath and let it out slowly. _What is this girl _doing_ to me?_

The rest of the lesson was uneventful and as the bell rang, I stood and shoved my books into my bag. Emmett stood waiting for me at the door by the time I'd finished.

"What was that about?" he asked with one brow raised. I sighed.

"Never mind, it's nothing," I replied. He shrugged and led the way out of the building.

The car park was swarming with students preparing to go home. Alice and Jasper had not yet arrived by the time I reached my car, so I stood leaning against the driver's side door. I glanced around the lot and noticed Bella walking to her beat up Chevy. She looked a little flustered, her cheeks the colour of rose petals.

I stood observing her as she heaved open the door of the truck and tossed her bag onto the passenger seat. She carefully climbed in and pulled the door shut behind her. The engine turned for a few moments before roaring to life. I watched as she backed the truck out of the space and drive out of the lot. A hand waved in front of my face.

"Alice to Edward, come in, Edward!" Alice said as she stood bouncing on the spot with a huge grin on her face. I blinked and looked around. Jasper stood behind Alice with a calm smile on his lips. However, his eyes held a knowing look. Emmett sat guffawing in the passenger seat of Rosalie's convertible. He'd witnessed the whole thing, oblivious to the car enthusiasts surrounding the little red car. Rosalie was... Rosalie. She was smug and not afraid to show it, especially when she knew she was right. However, she looked away quickly when a student bent down to examine something on the underside of her M3.

"Keep your grubby hands _off_ my car!" she snarled. The dusty haired boy quickly recoiled and scampered away. If he had a tail, it would be tucked between his legs. I almost felt sorry for the guy.

The other students took the hint and slowly trudged away from the car as Rosalie climbed into the driver's seat. Emmett was howling with laughter.

"Did you see the look on that guys face?" he exclaimed, gasping for breath. Rosalie gave him a satisfied grin and started the engine. I pulled open the door to my own car and climbed in. Alice and Jasper already sat in the back seat. It didn't take long for Alice to begin her relentless flow of questions.

"Edward, did you talk to her yet? It looks like you did. What's she like? I have to know!" she said without taking a breath and running each word into the next. I looked at her in the rear view mirror. Her eyes were livid with excitement.

"Alice, take a breath would you?" I said as I reversed out of the space. I followed Rosalie's car out of the lot and onto the highway. Alice took a deep breath.

"Come on, Edward, you didn't answer any of my questions! Don't keep me in suspense! _Please tell me!_" she said just as fast as before. I shook my head as I stared out the window at the road ahead.

"Can't you at least wait until we're home? It's really not that urgent," I said. There was a beat before she answered.

"Well, ok…" she said downheartedly. "But you are going to tell me _everything_ mister! And don't think for a second that I've forgotten about this morning!"

_Huh_. It always amazes me when she bounces right back. I continued driving, shaking my head again. There was silence from then on, as I turned off the highway and down the long, winding driveway to the house.

I parked between Emmett's Jeep and Rosalie's M3 in the enormous garage and turned the ignition off. I was barely out of the driver's seat when Alice started up again.

"We're home, so can you _please_ answer my questions now?" she begged. I sighed, exasperated.

"Hey, Alice, how about we get something to eat and drink first?" Jasper asked her. He grabbed her hand and led her off into the house.

"Fine," she mumbled as I walked behind them. I'd have to remind myself to thank Jasper later for delaying my torture.

As Jasper led Alice to the kitchen, I made my way upstairs to my bedroom on the third floor. Leaving the door open, I dropped my bag on the black leather couch before turning and flopping face first down onto my bed. I sighed in relief as I had a moment of peace. Or so I thought.

"Hi, Honey, how was your day?" Esme asked from my doorway. I rolled onto my back and looked at her before replying. She had a few interior design magazines in her hand, which made me think that she was in her office down the hall. She eyed me carefully.

"It was alright," I said, sitting upright. She smiled and studied my face for a moment.

"You're looking better than this morning. Did something happen today?" she asked.

"Edward likes the new girl!" Emmett bellowed from the second floor before I had a chance to reply. I groaned inwardly as Esme scolded Emmett for yelling.

"A new girl," Esme said, her lips pulling up into a gentle smile. She entered further into my room and sat on the edge of the bed. "What's her name?"

"Bella," I replied and my cheeks flushed a little. Just because I'm a guy, doesn't mean I don't get embarrassed. Talking about girls with your mother is never a comfortable conversation.

"That's a beautiful name," Esme commented, "is she pretty?"

I refused to answer out loud and nodded my head instead.

"I'm happy for you, sweetheart," she said, still smiling her gentle smile. She leaned forward and kissed my forehead softly before standing and making her way out of the room. She paused at the doorway. "Dinner's at six," she said and continued off down the hall. I managed to get five minutes to myself before Alice danced her way into my room. Unfortunately, there was no Jasper to save me.

"Edward," she sang as she perched lightly on my bed. She scooted closer and put her head on my shoulder. "Are you going to tell me now?" she asked sweetly. _Too sweet_, I thought. I sighed, giving in to her.

"Yes, Alice, I'm going to tell you, just like I said I would."

"Thank you, Edward!" she chirped. And then she wrapped her arms around my neck.

"Alice, if you choke me to death, I can't tell you," I chuckled. She took her arms away but kept her head on my shoulder. I took a deep breath and prepared for her river of questions.

"Okay, let's start from the beginning. Why were you so down this morning?" she asked. I was glad she was being a little calmer than earlier. I think maybe Jasper had something to do with that.

"I've been having nightmares," I told her truthfully. She lifted her head off my shoulder and gazed at me, concerned. She also looked a little shocked.

"What kind of nightmares? How long have they been going on?" she asked.

"I've been having them for the past few months. Every night it's the same one." I spoke slowly as I told her. She gasped quietly as I paused and thought for a moment. "My mother – my biological mother – keeps warning me that something is coming and that I have to run. She sounds so worried, but I don't know what I'm running from. Every morning I wake up covered in cold sweat and gasping for breath."

"Edward, why didn't you tell me sooner? You know you can tell me anything right?" Alice asked. I glanced at her. Her eyes were wide with worry. I nodded slowly. "Then why didn't you, you big dummy!" she said playfully. I couldn't help it, my lips involuntarily shifted into a smile. That was one thing I liked about Alice. She always helped me feel better when I was down. I couldn't go to the others if I needed to talk. Emmett would make a joke, Rosalie wouldn't care and Jasper was too trivial. The last time I asked Jasper for help, he just confused the heck out of me.

But Alice – as hyperactive as she is, she's the most understanding. She connected with me on a level that the others just couldn't. And I could trust her to keep a secret.

"Please don't tell the others though, especially Carlisle and Esme. I don't want to worry them," I requested. She laid her head back on my shoulder.

"I promise," she replied.

There was a moment of comfortable silence. I wasn't as worried about her other questions now. I knew she would go easy on me.

"So, tell me about Bella. Which class do you have together?" she asked.

"How do you know we have a class together?" I teased, nudging her playfully with my elbow.

"Edward, you should know me by now. I just know these things."

I grinned before replying. "We have Biology together. My desk had the only empty seat, so now she's my lab partner."

Then Alice shrieked.

I should've known the calm wouldn't last for long. She was like a ticking time bomb. I flinched away from her and slapped a hand over my ear.

"How could you keep that from me?" she demanded. She had sat up again and her eyes were wide, this time from disbelief. I feigned deafness.

"What?" I said a little louder than usual. I pressed my lips together tightly to suppress the fit of laughter that was now bubbling under the surface. Alice frowned and slapped my arm. I managed to keep my laughter to a chuckle. However, it was enough to calm her back down. She smiled up at me.

"That's great, Edward. It's the perfect opportunity to get to know her better."

I couldn't help but smile at the thought.

"I've heard she's shy. Is that true?" Alice continued.

"Yeah, she seems nervous around people. I noticed she blushes at the slightest compliment. And she bites her nails," I replied. It was true. When she was sitting beside me, I noticed that her fingernails on the hand closest to me were bitten back. Alice raised her brows at me.

"Wow, you must really like her. I don't blame you, she's really pretty. You've never taken so much notice of a girl before," Alice was thoughtful now. She settled back down and placed her head on my shoulder again. "Do you think she'll sit at our table at lunch if you asked her to?"

"I don't know, Alice. I'm not sure we should inflict Rosalie on her yet. And I'm pretty sure she'll be petrified of Emmett…" I trailed off, amused. The thought of eating lunch with Bella had my mind working in overdrive, just thinking of ways to ask her.

Alice sighed, which worried me. When she starts thinking and getting ideas in her head, the outcome is frightening.

"What are you thinking about, Alice?" I asked warily.

"I'm just wondering," she said lightly.

Yep, this is definitely bad.

"Wondering about what?" I asked cautiously. Alice sighed again.

"Promise you won't get mad, okay? I know how you can overreact…" she trailed off. Something was definitely wrong. But not how I expected. She sounded genuinely worried about my reaction.

"Yes, I promise, Alice. Now will you just tell me?" I waited for her reply and she hesitated.

"I was just wondering if one day you will be more than just friends with Bella. I feel kind of sad because you're alone. I have Jazz, while Em and Rose have each other and of course there's Carlisle and Esme. Bella's the first girl that you've ever been interested in."

I was stunned. Alice had caught me completely off guard. I'd be lying if I said that being surrounded by happy couples wasn't hard, but just the fact that Alice felt so concerned for me made my heart swell in a way I'd never felt before. And she wanted me to be more than friends with Bella. My head began to swim with so many emotions I didn't quite know how to react. I sat so still, I resembled a statue.

Alice looked up at me and perhaps it was my expression that prompted her to hug me again, this time without strangling me.

"It'll all work out Edward, trust me," she said softly. I managed to nod slightly.

"Thank you, Alice," I said, barely above a whisper.

She removed her arms from around my neck and shifted away a little.

"Of course it'll take time, Edward, so don't try to rush anything. Just be her friend for now and earn her trust," she said. I nodded again and she slid off the bed and danced her way out the door, leaving me to my thoughts.

* * *

**A/N:** So there's chapter 4! I hope you enjoyed it!

Thanks for reading! Please leave a review.

Melissa Kae :)


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N: **Thanks to everyone who added me to their alerts and favourites! And thanks to everyone who reviewed! You guys are the best!!

And thanks to _Marrabelle_ for suggesting a song for the last chapter! However, I used it in this one instead! :) I managed to decide on some songs for last chapter, so if anyone wants to go back and see which songs I chose – be my guest!

Wow, this chapter took me _way_ longer to get done than I expected. It was supposed to be up over a week ago!!! I've had essay after essay to get done this week. Now there's only one left before my mid-year break at the end of next week! I'll have a whole two months for writing for you guys! Anyway, this is the longest chapter yet, over 6000 words! (Not including my extremely long A/N's) Isn't that great?

So this chapter has a little more of everyone's back stories, especially Edward's. And of course there's more Edward and Bella interaction. I personally _love_ this chapter, so enjoy!

**Disclaimer:** So, there's a rumour going around that I don't own Twilight. It happens to be true :( There's also a rumour that Robert Pattinson and Kristen Stewart are secretly dating. *Snort!* I'm sorry; I just don't see that happening. Until someone actually snaps them making out off set, I'm so not gonna believe that. Besides… their lives, their business!

**Chapter 5: **Okay… I Didn't Peg Her for the 'Skipping Classes' Type

**Songs: **Kiss the Rain – Yiruma

Slipped Away – Avril Lavigne

Untitled Melody – Melissa Kae (that's me!)

Force of Nature – Lenka

**EPOV**

(Later the same night)

As I was walking out of the dining room, I paused at the low platform in the corner of the living room. I flexed my fingers, which were suddenly itching with unexplained longing. It wasn't the first time I'd felt this way. I thought for a few moments before stepping up onto the platform. I slowly paced forward and stretched out an arm, my fingers extended. I brushed them along the smooth black and white keys of my grand piano. I stopped and pressed the middle C with my forefinger. The note sang out, echoing throughout the empty room; still beautiful, still perfectly in tune.

I heard something clatter to the kitchen floor. _Esme,_ I thought. I sat on the stool in front of the piano and placed my fingers over the opening notes of a song that I knew well. I paused when I heard footsteps stop at the doorway.

Esme was right – it has been way too long since I'd played the piano. I know she loves it when I play. I felt a little guilty that I'd deprived her of the song she loved so much. And so, I continued, letting the beautiful melody fill the air. I heard the small intake of breath behind me. I could just about _feel_ her smile as my fingers flew across the keys.

Music was the one thing that kept me connected with my biological parents. They paid for my lessons when they noticed my enthusiasm for the piano. They had an old upright that once belonged to my grandmother and it stood in the far side of the family room in our two-storey, red brick home in Chicago. My mother taught me some simple children's songs while she found a music teacher who would give me proper lessons.

When I moved in with Carlisle and Esme after my parents died, I was quiet for weeks. I wouldn't speak at all. I ate my food and did what I was told, but I missed my parents and the life that I could no longer live. I couldn't play piano because Carlisle and Esme didn't have one. I was empty.

Six months after my adoption, we were invited to a dinner at the home one of Carlisle's work colleagues. At this stage, I would only speak out of politeness. I would say hello and goodbye, please and thank you, but no more. I excused myself for a bathroom break and upon returning to the dining room, I spotted a piano through the doorway into a spare room. That was the first time I felt the itch; the burning desire to play. I went inside and sat at the stool. I began playing the same song that I was playing right this moment in Carlisle and Esme's white mansion.

First, I heard silence. The murmurings from the dining room had died away while they listened. Then I heard startled cries and hurried footsteps coming down the hall. I heard Esme calling my name, but still I didn't stop. I could sense the hosts and the other guests in the doorway to the tiny room.

"My goodness, Carlisle, why didn't you say young Edward could play the piano? He has such skill!" Dr Whittler exclaimed. There was further silence before Esme answered him (Carlisle had frozen in shock).

"Because we didn't know," she said, awed.

There were further murmurings in the hallway as the other guests listened to me play. I felt Esme put her hand on my shoulder as the last few notes died away. I stood and turned towards Esme as she engulfed me in a gentle hug.

"Edward, that was beautiful, dear. I wish you had told us you play the piano," she said softly in my ear. Her voice gave away her silent, joyful tears.

"I've known how to play since I was four. My mom hired a tutor for me. Every day after school he would come to the house to teach me. Then I played, even after he left," I'd said, grinning up at her. Esme was startled once again. It was the first time I'd spoken willingly and probably the first time I'd smiled since my parents died.

Within the next week, Carlisle and Esme had bought me a grand piano so that I could continue playing. They also hired tutors for a few more years (every time we moved they had to hire someone new). When I was fifteen, right before Alice and Jasper joined the family, I decided that I didn't need a tutor any more. Even my last tutor agreed that I had learned all I could possibly be taught.

So here I am playing, for the first time in months, the first song that Esme had ever heard me play. I'm almost certain that's the reason she loves it so much.

I could feel more than one set of eyes on me as I reached the middle of the song, but I continued like they weren't there. Finally the melody reached a pitch one would normally hear from a music box, before coming down again and slowed into the final few notes. Before I knew it, I couldn't breathe; literally.

Alice was choking me. I think she meant it as a hug, but she obviously doesn't realise her own strength. I've got to admit, she's stronger than she looks. She could probably take me and Jasper down without a problem. Although I'm sure that not even she could so much as poke Emmett without bruising her finger.

"Yay, Edward, you're playing again! See, I told you Bella is good for you!" she chirped. She let me go and flittered over to Jasper who stood with a serene smile on his face. He also seemed a little… was satisfied the right word? It's very possible.

I turned to face Esme while still sitting on the piano stool, my lips pulled up slightly into a smile. Carlisle was standing with her, an arm wrapped around her shoulders. Esme had a hand held over her heart and it looked as though she were about to cry. Despite that, her smile was the most endearing I'd ever seen it.

I became aware of the fact that there was complete silence in the room. I turned towards Emmett and Rosalie, who were sitting on the white leather couch watching a sitcom on the television. However, the volume was muted and Emmett held the remote in his hand. He was turned in his seat with one arm over the back of the couch so that he was facing me. As soon as I had looked up at them, Rosalie's surprised face turned to nonchalance and she snatched the remote out of Emmett's hand and turned the volume back on. Emmett was grinning, which meant he was planning on confronting me later on. I rolled my eyes at him and turned back to face the piano once again.

***

"Edward!"

_What?_

"Edward, you're going to be late!"

_Huh? I'm never late._

"Edward, if you're not out of bed in five minutes, I'm giving Emmett permission to drag you out!"

_Something's missing._

I shot up in bed. There was a rapping on the door and Esme's voice muffled by the wood. It wasn't the threat that shocked me, it was something else… or lack of.

In my fatigued state, I'd failed to notice that I'd not dreamt that terrible nightmare during the night. I had been so used to it waking me up before daylight that I'd been relying on it instead of setting an alarm. I quickly glanced at the clock and threw the covers from my body. Esme was right; I was going to be late.

"I'll be down in a minute!" I shouted at the door as I ran around my room looking for some clothes to wear. I heaved a pair of dark blue denim jeans and clean boxers from a drawer and ran to the closet to find a shirt. I fumbled with the hanger while trying to pull a white button down shirt from it. The hanger landed on the floor of my closet, but I was in too much of a hurry to pick it up and place it back on the metal rung. I dashed across the room to the adjoining bathroom and slammed the door shut behind me.

I turned the hot water on to let it heat up while I stripped my sweat pants and boxers off together in one fluid movement. Kicking them into the corner of the room, I stepped into the shower and let the water drench me.

"Argh!" I cried as the hot water scorched my skin. I readjusted the water so that it wasn't so hot and quickly reached for the bar of soap. In my haste, of course I dropped it several times and took longer in the shower than I'd planned.

After turning the water off, I reached for a towel and quickly dried off. I dressed and turned to the sink to brush my teeth. I tried to tidy my hair a little but soon disregarded the idea; it was a lost cause. I exited the bathroom and went to find a pair of socks and shoes.

I grabbed my coat and slung my bag over one shoulder. I made my way downstairs and saw everyone by the doorway waiting for me, including Rosalie. Alice turned around to face me and gasped.

"Edward! Roll up your sleeves! Do you have any idea how dorky that looks?"

I had absolutely no time to react. She flew at me and attacked my arms.

"There, all better," she said happily, stepping back to admire her handiwork. I learned two years ago, when she joined the family, that if there was something wrong with what I was wearing, it was better to just let her weave her pixie magic; for her benefit and for the sake of my life.

"Come on, Alice. There's no time for makeovers," said Jasper. He reached for her hand and she pouted at him.

"Don't tell me you would've let him leave the house looking the way he did?" she questioned seriously. He simply shook his head and led her out the door grinning. Rolling my eyes and pulling on my coat, I followed.

***

I parked my car in an empty space closest to the school buildings and stepped out into the cold, damp air. I stuffed my hands into my coat pockets and glanced eagerly around the lot, looking for the decrepit old Chevy truck. I spotted it a few spaces away and noticed that Bella was sitting inside the cabin. There was a book propped up on the steering wheel, so I guessed that she was looking over her homework. I hesitated while I collected my thoughts, before making my way towards the red truck.

Just as I walked in front of Bella's truck, she looked up at me through the window. I smiled a greeting and continued around to the driver's side door. She stuffed the book into her bag and opened the door.

"Good morning, Bella," I said as she climbed out of the cabin.

"Hi, Edward," she replied quietly. She gathered up her bag, pulled the keys from the ignition and slammed the door to the truck closed.

"How are you?" I asked her. She looked a little surprised, like she wasn't expecting me to continue talking to her. She fumbled while putting her keys into her pocket and they fell to the ground at our feet. I bent down and scooped them up before she had to chance to object. I held them out to her and dropped them into her open palm.

"I'm fine, thanks," she said as the familiar rose highlighted her cheeks. She turned and continued walking towards the school buildings while I walked by her side. It was at that moment when I devised a plan.

"So I was wondering," I started. She glanced at me for a brief moment but didn't make an indication that she would speak, so I continued. "Would you like to sit with me at lunch today? We don't have to sit with my family or anything, I mean, if you don't want to that is. You don't have to if you don't want to, I'll –,"

"Yes," she said abruptly. I raised my eyebrows questioningly and she sighed. "I was planning on sitting by myself today anyway. Yesterday I sat with, uh… Jessica." It clicked then, when she said Jessica's name, why she was so eager to accept my offer. Jessica was one of the more 'popular' girl's of the school and by far the biggest gossip. She'd even tried to ask me out one time.

I gave Bella a half smile and continued walking into the school buildings. I could've sworn I saw her eyes glaze over. _Strange, _I thought to myself.

***

I made my way into the cafeteria and lined up to buy my lunch. Today's special was macaroni and cheese. _No thanks! _I usually didn't mind macaroni and cheese, but this one looked – I didn't even _want_ to know what that big chunk of grey stuff was. Instead I reached for the pasta bolognaise. It looked like the only edible selection today. I also bought a bottle of coke and paid at the cashier. I looked around the cafeteria and found an empty table at the opposite side of the room. I put my lunch tray on the table and sat to wait for Bella.

I glanced around the room and my eyes automatically fell upon the table that my siblings and I usually sat at. Three pairs of eyes were cast on me curiously, while the last set were livid with excitement. I took in more of my surroundings and noticed that there were more than just four people were watching me. There were several other students staring at me, seemingly baffled. It wasn't until Bella walked up to the table a few moments later that they all turned their gazes elsewhere. Bella sat her tray on the table and awkwardly took a seat.

"Um, did you know everyone was staring at you?" she asked me quietly. I was hoping she wouldn't notice that. I grimaced.

"Yeah, I don't normally sit apart from my siblings," I explained. I watched her carefully as she unscrewed the lid of her bottle of water. She took a sip before setting the bottle aside and picking up her fork to poke at the saggy lasagne that sat on her plate. I focused my attention on my own food and managed to eat one mouthful before Bella spoke again.

"Why is that? The others were acting like you were all a bunch of snobs or something."

"Well," I started, "I'm sure people are intimidated by Rosalie and Emmett. Then they think Jasper and Alice are weird. As for me, when we first moved here I got swamped by a heap of people, mostly girls. I decided to stay where it's safe – with my brothers and sisters who they avoid. Besides, all of the students in this school are fuelled by their hormones."

"And you don't think that I'm the same?" she asked as she raised one eyebrow. I studied her features for a moment before I replied.

"To tell you the truth, I'm not too sure. I can usually tell what people are like just by looking at their expressions, but you have got me completely stumped." I was a little surprised at her reaction; she looked as surprised as I felt. She dropped her fork onto her plate and rested both hands casually on the tabletop. I glanced down at them, trying to be inconspicuous, but noticed something odd. The fingernails on her left hand were cut right back, but the nails on her right hand were grown out. _Why would she bite the nails on one hand and not the other? _I thought frowning. She noticed my expression and pulled her hands back off the table.

"What?" she asked.

"It's nothing," I replied, a little embarrassed that I'd been caught out.

Bella shrugged and picked her fork up again. She began to stab at the lasagne before taking a small bite. She sighed and put the fork down again. I guessed she doesn't like the cafeteria food much. Nothing new there, nobody did.

"Here try some of mine," I said, pushing my plate towards her. "This one is edible at least."

"Are you sure?" she asked. I nodded.

"Yeah, I wasn't that hungry anyway."

I watched as she tasted my lunch. She thought for a moment before taking another bite. I just sat in silence for most of the remainder of the lunch hour, sipping my coke occasionally, while she finished eating.

When there was only five minutes remaining, Bella asked what the time was.

"We still have five minutes," I replied.

"I'm just going to use the bathroom. See you in class," she said while standing and collecting her discarded lunch. I nodded.

"Sure."

I watched her as she walked out of the cafeteria. It was then when I felt the eyes upon me once again. Deciding not to put up with it, I stood and made my way to Biology, clearing my lunch things as I left.

*

Class was ten minutes in and the stool next to me was still vacant. Had something happened to Bella? I waited for another two minutes before my impatience wore thin and I raised my hand.

"Yes, Mr Cullen?" Mr Banner asked me, looking unimpressed that I'd interrupted his lecture.

"May I please have a hall pass?"

"Lunch has just finished, Edward. Surely if you needed to use the bathroom, that would've been the best time to go," he said, but gave me the hall pass anyway. I made my way out of the classroom and shut the door behind me. _Okay… now where?_ I hadn't thought this far ahead. What was I supposed to do? Look for Bella in the girl's bathroom? That will be fun to explain.

I began to walk in the first direction that came to me. I thought maybe she'd gone home without notifying anyone, so I decided to check the parking lot. Sure enough, her truck was still sitting in the same lot as this morning, untouched.

I sighed and turned around. I headed back down the hallway, but paused when I heard music coming from a room nearby. I walked towards the door and curiously looked inside, unconcerned that I was disrupting a class. It was just a small practice room. But there sat Bella, an acoustic guitar in hand.

I watched in awe as she sat on a stool in the centre of the room, facing the opposite direction. I listened as she played a sombre tune. Unexpectedly, she began to sing. Her voice was soft but was filled with several emotions. I could hear pain, sadness and longing. Her voice lifted and fell with the melody and it absolutely broke my heart while filling it with sudden warmth at the same time. I stood frozen in the doorway in awe.

When the song came to an end, I was broken out of my reverie. It took several tries to speak.

"That was beautiful," I said. Bella gasped and spun around on the stool. I chuckled. "Sorry, I didn't mean to startle you. When you didn't show up to class, I got worried."

"Oh, yeah, I was on my way when I found this room. I just had to play. I haven't played for a while. I kind of thought I owed it to myself."

I smiled and made my way over to where she sat, pulling up a stool for myself.

"I know the feeling. How long have you been playing?" I asked.

"For about five years now. My mom decided she wanted to learn, so I had lessons at the same time. Although she didn't stick with it like I did. I've even managed to compose a few things."

Now that had my interest.

"Can you play something you wrote? I'd really love to hear it," I requested. She contemplated it for a moment before making a decision.

"Okay but there's no lyrics. It's just a melody I came up with one day."

"That's fine," I said, gesturing to her to continue. She took a deep breath before playing.

First she began picking individual notes, her fingers moving fluidly, shaping the chords and plucking the appropriate strings. That's when I realised why she only had the fingernails trimmed on one hand. I had witnessed a few years ago, a girl in my music class while we were living in Philadelphia, complaining that she couldn't shape the chords properly because her fingernails were obstructing the strings. I remembered the teacher suggesting that she should cut them back, but she refused. I guess that's why Bella's nails were odd.

The song progressed into a strummed chorus, speeding up slightly before moving back into a slow verse. The song seemed sad but somehow happy, or perhaps _hopeful_ was the correct term. I could hear a story behind the melody, but at the same time, I was frustrated because I didn't know what that story was. I decided I'd wait to ask her about it.

I watched as she finished playing the song.

"That was," I paused looking for the right word. "_Unbelievable_."

Bella looked up at me, and I felt the rush of something come over me as her eyes met my own. I contemplated the emotions as I watched her cheeks flush red. I wasn't feeling happy or excited; it was closer to adrenaline, but still not the same; it was more potent. I'd never felt such an extreme emotion before.

"Thanks," Bella replied quietly. She averted her gaze, her cheeks flushed. I smiled and stood.

"We'd better get going to class," I said to her as she stood also.

"Yeah, I guess we'd better."

She placed the guitar on a stand near one corner of the room and picked up her bag. I led the way out of the room, closing the door behind us. We walked down the hallway in comfortable silence and entered the biology classroom.

"Nice of you to rejoin us, Mr Cullen. Please take a seat. And as for you Miss Swan, tardiness is not encouraged in this school. I'll let the both of you off with a warning, but next time you'll each receive a detention," Mr Banner scolded as we took our seats.

The rest of the lesson passed and as Bella and I packed up our books, Mike Newton stopped to talk to Bella, much to my chagrin.

"Hey Bella, can I walk you to gym?" he asked.

Eight words and Mike had brought on yet another new emotion, this time closer to anger. _Jealousy_.

I frowned but waited for Bella's response. She threw me a weary look which I interpreted as '_help!_' But what could I do? I wracked my brain to come up with a clever excuse for her. Finally I had an idea. It would be unlike me to do something like this, but Bella needed an escape route.

"Actually, Mike, Bella won't be attending gym class today," I said matter-of-factly. Mike turned to me and raised a brow.

"Oh yeah, is that so, Cullen? What say do you have over the matter?" he sneered, his eyes boring into mine as he waited for an explanation.

"Bella received a call from her father just after lunch. She's already been to the office to notify the staff. That's where she was when I found her a short while ago." I watched as Bella nodded, trying to convince Mike that I was telling the truth. To me, Bella was quite visibly a terrible liar, but Mike failed to notice and begrudgingly accepted that what I'd told him was true.

"Fine, I'll see you tomorrow Bella," he said casting one last glare in my direction. "_Cullen_." I watched as he stalked out of the room.

"Thank you, Edward," Bella said simply. I gave her my signature half smile and slung my bag over one shoulder.

"No problem."

We made our way out of the classroom and into the crowded hallway.

"I need to go to my locker," Bella said over the murmur of the other students. I nodded and let her lead the way. I pulled out my phone and sent a text message to Emmett. He owed me a favour and I chose this time to cash it in. I told him I was skipping Spanish today and asked if he could keep it between us. There was no need to involve Carlisle and Esme. I knew how disappointed they'd be.

I stood leaning against the locker next to Bella's while she sorted her books. Once she'd finished, she closed the locker door and turned to me.

"So what do we do now? I mean, you just bailed me out of class, so you must have an idea," she said as she looked at me expectantly. I paused. _Good point,_ I mused to myself. I was good at jumping into something without a plan today. I thought for a few moments and realised that whatever we did, it was an opportunity to get to know each other better. I thought up the perfect plan.

"How about we sit in my car for a while? It'll be warm and we can have the stereo on too if you'd like?" I asked, raising a questioning eyebrow. I watched as she mulled it over for a few seconds.

"Sure," she said simply. I couldn't help but smile as I turned and led Bella out of the school buildings and towards the parking lot. Once we reached my car, I unlocked it and opened the passenger side door for Bella. I shut it after her and then moved around to the driver's side. Once I was in, I put the key in the ignition and started the motor so that I could turn the heating on for a while.

"There's some CD's in the glove compartment if you'd like to pick one out," I told her as I adjusted the dials on the heating. Bella hesitantly reached forward and popped open the compartment. I watched amused, as her eyes widened at the sight of the many CD's that were crammed into the tiny space.

"Whoa," she breathed, still staring. "How many CD's do you have?"

"Believe me, that's only a fraction of my collection. You should see my bedroom," I stated. When Bella turned to me with a perplexed expression on her face, I realised the double meaning to my last sentence. "Oh, God, I'm sorry! Let me rephrase that. Uh, I meant you should see how many CD's I have at home."

Bella's lips pulled up slightly at the corners and she turned back to the CD's. Her lips mouthed the titles of the bands and she eventually decided on one. She pulled it out and handed it to me. I took a look at the cover.

"You like My Chemical Romance?" I asked. This girl never ceased to amaze me. She nodded.

"Yeah, you actually have a lot of bands that I like crammed in there. I borrowed a Linkin Park CD from my mom's husband Phil a few weeks ago. Muse is another of my favourites, along with Jack's Mannequin."

I didn't expect that answer. I was expecting bands like The Fray or OneRepublic; Lifehouse, perhaps. But certainly not My Chemical Romance. Each of the bands she'd just admitted to liking, were all included in the jammed up glove compartment. I grinned as I opened the Cd case and placed the disc into the player. I pressed 'random', quickly followed by 'play'. The first few notes of 'Cancer' spilled out from the speakers and I tossed the empty case into the small space below the CD player. We sat for a few moments as Gerard Way's voice weaved its way into the music. I was the first to speak.

"So tell me more about your family. You mentioned your mother and her husband, why don't you start there?" I asked. Bella took me by surprise once again by answering without hesitation.

"Well, I lived with my mom ever since she and my dad divorced when I was a year old. My mom and I lived in California for a few years before we moved to Phoenix. It was just us for a while, but then she met my stepdad Phil. He's a minor league baseball player and she's head over heels for him. He's a good guy though. He takes good care of my mom."

She stopped talking for a moment, so I decided to ask another question.

"What about your dad?"

"My dad's great. You probably already know he's the chief of police. The only food he has in the house is bacon, eggs and fish – _lots_ of fish. I probably would've visited him more often when I was younger if the weather here was better…" she trailed off.

"You don't like the rain?" I asked. She shook her head.

"No," she replied. My lips pulled up a little.

"I don't really like the rain either. After a while the clouds become ominous," I said as I looked out the window at the rolling, grey clouds overhead. We sat for a while as the song changed to 'Disenchanted'. After a few moments I realised that the air smelled sweet, like strawberries. I hadn't noticed before. I thought that maybe the heat was making the smell more potent.

"What about your family? You said you and your brothers and sisters were adopted?" Bella asked me. I turned my eyes back to her as I replied.

"Yes. My biological parents died when I was nine. My adoptive father, Carlisle, was their doctor. If not for him, I'd probably be buried with them. Apparently my mother begged him to take care of me, so he and his wife Esme adopted me. Two years later, Rosalie joined us. Her parents were wealthy and they adored her. She still lives like a princess." I chuckled.

"Which one is Rosalie?" Bella asked. I hadn't realised that she didn't exactly know one from the other when it came to my siblings.

"She's the blonde one."

"What happened to her parents?"

"They were killed in a plane crash," I explained solemnly. Bella averted her gaze to her lap for a few seconds, but then looked back up at me.

"And the others?" she asked. I paused for a moment before continuing.

"Emmett is the big dark haired guy. He joined us a year after Rosalie. He and his parents were hiking in the woods and a tree came down on their campsite one night. Emmett was the only one to walk away. It was actually Rosalie who found him that day. They've been inseparable ever since," I chuckled.

"Do you mean to say they're together? Like a couple?" Bella asked, as her brows rose sceptically.

"Yeah," I said, "Alice and Jasper are together too."

"Huh," Bella said. I laughed for a moment.

"Their stories are a little more complicated. See, they both came to us at the same time, two years ago. Alice's background is a bit of a mystery. When she was younger, she was found wondering the streets in Biloxi. Nobody knew where her parents were, including Alice. She just woke up one day and she couldn't remember where she came from. She only knows her name because she had a photograph of herself in her pocket with her name written on the back. The police checked missing person reports and put out word that a girl had been found, but they never found a thing. So Alice was placed into the system. She bounced from foster home to foster home. Eventually she ended up in Houston where she met Jasper.

"Alice was with her foster sister at the time, just walking down their street. Two cars collided at an intersection nearby and Alice took off towards the burning cars to see if she could help anyone and she found Jasper in the back seat of one of the cars. Nobody knows how she managed it, but she dragged him from the vehicle and got him to safety. Because of Alice, he was the only one to survive the crash. He didn't come out completely unscathed though. He has scars all over him from the collision," I took a deep breath, ready to continue, but Bella cut me off.

"He has scars? I never noticed."

"Well he likes to cover them as best as he can. Most of them are on his arms so he just wears long sleeves. You have to be close up to really notice, but he does have a few on his neck and just above his left eye. The doctors that treated him, Carlisle included, did their best to minimise the scarring on his face, but there's still faint lines.

"Since his parents had just died and he's Rosalie's cousin it made sense for him to –,"

"He's Rosalie's cousin?" Bella interjected. She had a look of pure astonishment, which made a chuckle escape my lips.

"Yeah, their dads were brothers, hence their last name is Hale, not Cullen," I explained. "Rosalie was quite shocked to learn that she'd also lost her aunt and uncle. She changed a little after that. I think having Jasper with us sort of lifted her mood a little.

"When the ambulance arrived to take Jasper to the hospital, Alice wouldn't let them take him without her. But it doesn't surprise me that they let her have her way," I chuckled.

"Why is that?" Bella asked. I grinned in return and replied.

"Trust me; you don't want to be around Alice when she's angry. She puts the Terminator to shame."

"Oh."

I watched as Bella's brows puckered. I couldn't tell if she believed me or not. I didn't blame her. Just one look at Alice and _anyone_ would think I'm joking. We sat for a while as the song changed again. This time 'I Don't Love You' played.

"So how old are you?" Bella asked me curiously.

"I'm seventeen. Alice is seventeen also. The others are eighteen. They're seniors," I explained. She simply nodded her head. "How old are you?"

"Seventeen," was all she said and with that our conversation came to a comfortable close. We sat in the warmth of the car and just listened to the remaining songs on the CD. Soon enough, the last song played and silence took over. Class would be out soon, so I turned to Bella to suggest that she go before Mike saw that her truck was still in the parking lot, but as soon as I met her gaze, I froze. The words failed to leave my lips as I got lost in her stunning brown eyes, which were completely glazed over.

We sat in this frozen state for several minutes, or was it hours? Or seconds? Time lost meaning; all there was, was me and Bella.

Too quickly, she blinked, breaking the trance between us. We both came to our senses. Bella reached to open the door.

"I should probably get going," she said. However, she paused, biting her lower lip. "So, I'll see you tomorrow?"

"Absolutely," I said, a little too eagerly. Recomposing myself, I bid her farewell. "Goodbye, Bella."

"Bye," she said, opening the door. A gust of icy wind flowed into the car but I didn't feel it. The warmth I felt on the inside dulled the freezing Forks wind. Bella closed the door and threw me a small wave as she walked towards her truck. I sat and waited for my siblings, my heart pounding and my thoughts clouded by Bella. Her scent, the delicious strawberry smell, lingered in the car even after she was gone.

* * *

**A/N:** There you have it!

I'm hoping everyone has noticed that Bella has opened up a little to Edward? See if anyone can guess why… It will be explained in the next chapter, because it's going to be another BPOV… hopefully better than the last one!

Also, that thing with her fingernails… yeah it's weird, but that's exactly how I am when I play the guitar. The nails on my left hand can't be too long or I get dull thuds and weird twangs when I play! XD Crazy right? Unless there are others who are the same? Lol.

The CDs that I chose for Edward to have in his car were bands that were included in Stephenie Meyer's playlists for the series. I thought that would make sense. But each and every band I mentioned in this chapter are the ones that I'd usually listen to anyway, so I'm happy! Don't get me wrong; I listen to just about everything! Except the Jonas Brothers… no offense to anyone who likes them.

If you think my Edward is getting OOC, just let me know, I'm trying to keep him as close to SM's Edward as possible.

Since this is the longest chapter, I'd really like some feedback on this one. Think you can get my reviews up to 25?

Thanks for reading!

Melissa Kae :)


	6. Chapter 6

**A/N:** Thanks for the awesome reviews and adds everyone! And sorry this chapter is extremely late!!! I've had a lot of distractions because I've been visiting my parents since the start of June. And when I got back home, I found out that I have to move, which has forced me to travel interstate every week for the rest of the semester, so updates may take a while.

Okay, so there's a few things I have to say first. I have made a banner for this fic! So, if you like, you can jump over to my profile and check it out. I've tested the link and it works fine. Also, because I didn't want to post an annoying A/N instead of an update, I have set up my very own Twitter account! So if you have your own Twitter (you may have to add me to see my posts) and I take ages to update, just head over to my Twitter for any news for FTSTAT. Just type Twitter's address and /RandomSugarRush at the end.

Now regarding this chapter: I've got to say right now, that my Bella is _insanely complex_! I hope I don't confuse you all too much. I'm having so much trouble getting inside Bella's head that I ended up having writer's block with Bella's POV. I think it's because my Bella is so different to Steph's. So, I switched to EPOV. I didn't want to leave you guys with a tiny-ass chapter after not updating for ages!!!

**Disclaimer:** I discovered that the ownership for Twilight had been handed over to me willingly… Then I woke up and realised that it still belongs to Stephenie Meyer.

**Chapter 6: **It Doesn't Get Any Better Than This – Pain, Heartache and… Fifties Music?

**Song: BPOV –** New Medicine (Stay With Me) – The Getaway Plan

**EPOV – **Mona Lisa – Nat "King" Cole

**BPOV**

I did it. I finally took a chance. So far, nothing too bad has happened. The complete opposite of what I expected. Usually when I took a chance like this, everything would just blow up in my face.

But I won't get my hopes up. I'm not a naïve person. I've been around the block more than enough times to know that things just don't go according to plan. That's not how life works. And I don't expect it to.

Life's full of choices, mistakes and heartache. Let me tell you, I've had ten lifetimes worth of each of those, compacted into seventeen years. It makes me wonder why I'm still standing here today; why I've made such a choice when I know that everything might just collapse underneath me; why I've decided to trust Edward Cullen.

It wasn't an easy decision. My heart constricted every time I thought over the matter. Trusting Edward meant moving forward, which – in turn – meant leaving the past behind. Then I'd ask myself the question – am I ready to leave the past in the past? Doing so would mean leaving behind those whom I had loved and lost. Just the thought sent stabbing pain coursing through my chest. I'd gasp for breath and quickly channel my thoughts towards something else, like homework or chores. But I knew I couldn't avoid the situation for much longer, especially since Edward had been so kind to me, accepted me without judging or even knowing me. I realised that such a person doesn't come along very often in an average lifetime. I decided that that wasn't something I was willing to let slip through my fingers. I saw a silver lining – a ray of sunlight during a thunderstorm – and now I'm reaching for it.

Of course, there was a downside. It meant I'd have to open up. If I were to trust Edward fully, I'd need to tell him more about myself than I'm comfortable with anyone knowing. And if he were to trust me, I shouldn't lie to him – not that I could anyway – but telling him about my past would be the most painful experience since the accident itself. I hadn't opened up about that day for anyone, not even Renee. Would I even have the strength or courage to talk about what happened?

There was only one way to find out.

So here I am, driving my truck home from school, determined, after spending the afternoon with Edward in the school parking lot, listening to My Chemical Romance in his car. He had told me about his family and their past. He did it so willingly that I'd decided that I'd return the sentiment. I'd tell him about my past.

I parked my truck in front of my house and made my way towards the front door. I unlocked the door and stepped over the threshold. I dumped my backpack on the floor beside the door as I shut it and took off my jacket. I hung it on a hook and paced into the living room. I started scavenging through Charlie's cupboards, looking for the photographs that Renee sent him every few months – the photos of me and my two best friends.

Eventually, I found a brand new album with photographs from the last year. I heaved it out of its place in the cupboard, sending some other albums tumbling out with it. The whole lot scattered over the floor, some pictures spilling from the pages. I groaned in annoyance, but ignored the mess. I'll clean it up later. I took the correct album to the kitchen table and sat down. I took a deep breath and curled my fingers around the edge of the cover.

And I froze.

Fear coursed through my body, suffocating me. My breath sped up and my pulse raced. Anyone would think it were a life or death situation. It felt like one.

I had not looked at a photograph of my friends since their funerals. I knew it wouldn't change the way they looked to me in my mind; the way they looked after the accident. That image was burned into my subconscious. Once something has been burned, there's no fixing it, you can't get the old image back.

_I can't do this! _I thought. I stood from my place at the kitchen table and moved to the sink. I pulled a glass from one of the cupboards and with shaking hands, half filled it with water. Slowly I took a small sip, concentrating on swallowing without drowning myself. My breathing was so ragged that I could easily accidentally inhale the water.

_Maybe that won't be such a bad thing… _

No!

This isn't me. I do _not_ think like that. I am _not _suicidal. I'm Bella; that's who I've always been. Or at least that's who I used to be. The old Bella wouldn't think like that. But I'm not the old Bella. I'm the new Bella. I'm the Bella who has an orange bottle stashed away upstairs for exactly that reason.

My head started screaming at me. I felt my face contort into a pained expression. I placed the glass onto the counter top and ran towards the stairs. I stumbled a few times but managed to reach the top landing. I entered my room hastily and pulled the bottle from my toiletries bag. I ran straight for the bathroom and turned on the tap. I filled a cup full of water and shut the tap off. I fumbled trying to take the lid off the bottle, but managed to tip two of the pills into the palm of my hand. I threw them into my mouth and sculled the whole cup of water. I placed the cup back down onto the basin and sank down onto the cold tiles, my back leaning against the bathtub. I wrapped my arms around my legs and rested my head on my knees. I concentrated on breathing deeply while tears that I hadn't noticed before now dripped from my eyes.

I sat like that for half an hour, just breathing slowly to keep myself calm while the medication took effect.

_This is definitely not me._

I wanted to be the old Bella again. I wanted to be happy. I wanted to smile without feeling guilty. I wanted to laugh. I wanted to have fun again. I wanted to have friends who I could talk to when I needed a shoulder to cry on.

_I want my life back!_

I took one more deep breath and let it out slowly. I opened my eyes and lifted my head off my knees. I sat for a moment before standing and looking at my reflection in the mirror; _really_ looking. I studied the face before me; mahogany hair, chocolate brown eyes, pink lips and soft white skin. Then I saw it.

The old Bella was staring right back at me.

Her face was a little worn, with bags under her sad eyes and her skin a little more pale than usual, but there she stood.

I watched her curiously, waiting to see if she would leave again. She didn't. I wasn't sure how long I'd stood staring at my reflection, but it must have been a while because I heard Charlie's police cruiser pull up into the driveway. I blinked a few times, shocked to realise that the sun had already begun to set.

But even through my sudden shock, Bella still peered at me from the mirror. However, her face was just as shocked as my own. And that's when I realised that the Bella in the mirror and the Bella that I am were one in the same. The old Bella was never gone – she had just been buried beneath all of the tragedy and drama in her life; _my_ life.

I saw her – _my_ – lips pull up into a smile; only a faint smile, but definite.

I heard the front door open and Charlie call my name. I turned away from the mirror, exited the bathroom and made my way downstairs. Charlie was just hanging up his belt and gun as I reached the bottom step.

"Hey dad," I greeted him. To be completely honest, I didn't expect his reaction. He paused and stared at me for a few moments.

"Are you feeling okay Bella?" he asked curiously.

"Yeah, I'm fine. Why?" I asked. He stood and contemplated his answer for a few seconds.

"Well, you just look, I don't know… _better_," he said. He scratched at his neck a bit before changing the subject – a typical Charlie move. "So how was school?"

"It was okay," I replied, nodding my head a little.

"Made any new friends yet?"

"Um, kind of… Do you know the Cullens?" I bit my bottom lip as I waited for his reply.

"Yeah, I know them," he started. He moved off towards the kitchen with me following close behind. He was probably wondering what we were going to have for dinner, which I'd forgotten all about. "They're one of the nicest families in town. They like to keep to themselves though, especially the kids. Apparently they have a bit of trouble socialising with the other students. Don't ask me why, they seem pretty well behaved to me, unlike the rest of the hooligans in town."

He walked into the kitchen and opened the fridge. He pulled out a can of beer and sat at the table. He glanced at the abandoned photo album and then back at me with one eyebrow raised. I chewed my bottom lip again. Charlie just shrugged and cracked open the beer. He took a swig and sat the can on the table. He glanced around the room and noticed that there was no sign of dinner preparation.

"Feel like pizza tonight Bells?" he asked. I decided it was probably best to go along with it and agree to pizza. I hadn't yet done what I meant to do this afternoon, so cooking wasn't on the top of my priorities. I was still determined to open the photo album and I knew I would need the extra time.

"Yeah, sure," I said simply. I walked across the room and picked up the photo album but before I had the chance to turn and leave the room, Charlie spoke again.

"Sit for a minute, Bells," he said. I risked a glance at his face and he had that look that suggested that he wanted to talk. I cautiously sat in the chair opposite him, placing the album back onto the table. Charlie looked at me for a few minutes while I gnawed on my bottom lip. Finally, he spoke.

"Are you sure you're holding up okay Bells? I know what happened back in Phoenix was hard, but you haven't spoken to anyone about it since it happened," he said as he shifted uncomfortably in his chair. I should've known that this conversation would happen eventually. I sighed before answering.

"I'm trying, dad, I really am. I'm just not sure if I'm ready yet. I _want_ to be, but it's hard," I said, my eyes glued to the surface of the table.

"Yeah, I know Bells. I'm here if you want to talk – when you're up to it," he replied as he picked up the can of beer and drinking another mouthful. I nodded and we sat in silence for a few moments.

I'm not entirely sure what made me do it, but my next action shocked me.

"I haven't looked at their picture since their funerals," I said. Charlie had his can of beer halfway raised to take another swig, but when I spoke his brows furrowed a little and he lowered the can back to the table.

"You haven't?" he asked sceptically. I just shook my head as he scratched his neck.

"I was going to this afternoon, but I didn't get around to it," I said. Charlie just shrugged.

_He just shrugged? Does he even realise how hard this is for me?_

"So do it now. You've got the album out, so why not?" he asked nonchalantly.

_He obviously doesn't._

I chewed my bottom lip and took a deep breath.

_I guess it's now or never._

Once again I curled my fingers around the front cover of the album. A split second before I turned the cover, I closed my eyes. Once the book was open I opened my eyes and took in the two photographs on the first page.

The first photo was of me and Renee when we went swimming at one of Renee's friends' houses. We were house-sitting for a few days and they said we could use their pool as much as we wanted. In the photo I was drenched and Renee was poking her tongue out at the camera.

I took a swift glance at the second photograph on the page and slammed the album shut.

Charlie pressed his lips together in a straight line – but didn't say anything, he had reached his limit of emotions for the day – as I grappled internally with the stabbing in my chest.

Maybe I was naïve after all; naïve to think that I could push away my past in just one night. This would take longer than that.

The pain was easier than I'd thought it would be and subsided quicker than I'd anticipated. Perhaps it was the medication, or maybe the fact that I'd dwelled on the thought of looking at a photograph of my friends all afternoon – the pain was already there – it couldn't get much worse.

It's strange though. I was still determined to not let it get to me.

_I'll try again after dinner._

**EPOV**

I woke to a start. My alarm clock blared with a song on the radio, some upbeat pop song I wasn't particularly fond of. I lifted a sleep-heavy arm and shut off the noise ineptly. I groaned, rubbed my face with one hand and sat up, yawning. I stayed under my golden duvet as I gazed out the window, checking the weather. For once, the sky was clear of clouds and was a shade of blue I hadn't seen for a while. I didn't need Alice to tell me it was going to be a good day; my mood was always improved when the sun was shining.

I took my time in the shower, letting the hot water seep into my skin. Today was the first time in a long time that I'd felt completely relaxed; like a weight had been lifted off my shoulders.

***

Once I was dressed, I made my way downstairs with a slight spring in my step and my backpack slung over one shoulder. I dropped my bag at the foot of the stairs and made my way into the kitchen. Emmett was sitting at the island bar, spooning cereal into his mouth a mile a minute and had milk dripping down his chin. This was nothing new, but I saw an opportunity and took it.

"Em, I understand that you're hungry twenty four-seven, but _must_ you eat like a savage?" I chuckled. He shrugged and kept up his pace. I rolled my eyes and turned to put a few slices of bread into the toaster. While my breakfast was cooking, I leaned against the counter and Esme entered the kitchen.

"Good morning, Esme," I greeted her, smiling.

"Good morning, sweetheart," she replied. She began her usual bustling around the kitchen. As I buttered my toast, I began to whistle tunelessly. Esme paused from replenishing the paper towel rack and turned.

"Someone's in a good mood. What's on your mind Edward?" she asked. Before I could reply though, Emmett spoke, still with a mouthful of cereal.

"I mow why," he mumbled.

"Emmett, swallow your food before you speak. And don't forget to chew it this time," Esme berated.

Ah, yes. Ever tried to swallow potato chips without chewing? He ended up not being able to speak for a few hours. And then afterwards his voice was very hoarse. The house had never been so quiet, if you don't count Carlisle and Esme giving him the 'that's why it's so important to chew your food' speech. And then to make sure he listened, when the rest of us had ice cream for dessert, Emmett got ice cubes to suck on.

Emmett grinned and did as he was told before continuing.

"There once was a guy from Forks  
Whose brother called him a dork  
When the new girl fell down  
He wore a big frown  
And decided to help her to walk," Emmett snorted as he finished his crude limerick. Esme scolded him for calling me a dork. I didn't mind though. In fact, I was laughing along with him.

"Was he referring to Bella?" Esme asked me. I took a bite of my toast and nodded a reply. "She sounds a little clumsy."

Emmett snorted.

"She's more than that! She could wear a sign that warns people of the effects of alcohol!"

That did it. I stopped chewing and glared at him coldly. His guffaws died down when he noticed the look on my face. His eyes widened in horror.

"Aw no, I didn't mean it like that! C'mon man, I was only kidding! I just meant that she's _really_ clumsy, not just _occasionally_ clumsy… This isn't helping is it?" He asked, panicked. I shook my head slowly, still giving him the death glare.

"E-Esme…" he said in a shaky voice. He jumped up from his stool and cowered behind her.

"Okay, Edward, that's enough," she warned. I simply shrugged and took another bite of my toast. Emmett sighed, relieved, while Esme shook her head, a smile playing about her lips.

"But I was right about one thing though," Emmett said as he sat back on his stool.

"And what was that?" Esme asked.

"Did you see that frown?" He replied snickering.

***

I waited as my siblings slid into their seats in my car. As soon as I turned the engine on, I turned the radio to a station that played music from the mid twentieth century and pretty soon, Nat "King" Cole's 'Mona Lisa' played softly through the speakers. As I drove down our winding driveway, I sang along to the nineteen-fifty classic. My grandmother would play such music whenever I would visit her with my parents, before she passed away. 'Mona Lisa' was one of her favourites.

"Of course – the sun comes out and Edward gets his Broadway musical on," Rosalie ribbed from the backseat. I grinned as Emmett chuckled. Beside me, Alice's tinkling laughter was very short lived, as she began to sing along with me. I glanced at her, surprised.

"I didn't know you knew fifties music, Alice," I said when the song was finished. There was a pause; something that wasn't very Alice like. I glanced at her again and she was wearing a frown. "Alice?"

When she didn't reply, Jasper leaned forward in the seat behind her and put a gentle hand on her shoulder.

"Alice, what is it? What's wrong?" he asked. His voice seemed to pull her from her thoughts and she turned in her seat to face me.

"I – I don't remember where I know that song from. I don't remember hearing it anywhere. But I knew all of the lyrics, Edward!" Her eyes and voice were almost hysterical and she still seemed a little thoughtful. It was very rare for Alice to second guess herself.

"Alice, calm down. It's probably just something that your memory dragged up. It can happen at any time," I said in an effort to put her at ease. "If this was the first time you've heard the song since you woke up that day, then it was most likely triggered right now." I saw from the corner of my eye, that she sat back in the seat facing the front.

"I don't know," she said as she stared out at the road. She was silent after that.

The next song that played was The Seekers' 'Georgie Girl'. Oh, _hell_ no. If there was any kind of music I couldn't stand, it was music from the sixties. However, just a random piece of trivia I'd heard somewhere reminded me that The Seekers were Australian.

I quickly switched the radio to a current station and Linkin Park blared from the speakers. Emmett whooped from the back.

"Now, _that's_ what I call music!" he said before singing – or bellowing – along to 'New Divide'. I expected this of Emmett. He's a 'go with the flow' kind of guy, but he usually prefers mainstream music.

"No way, man, I'll take good old blues any day," Jasper countered in his southern accent. I rolled my eyes as they began a heated discussion. I glanced over at Alice, who was still off in her own world. For that, even I was starting to worry about her.

As I pulled up in the school parking lot, I heard a smack and Emmett cussing loudly.

"Ow, Rose! What was that for?" he asked in a sulky voice.

I tuned them out quickly as I'd spotted Bella's truck already parked in the lot. However, she was not sitting in the cab. I climbed out, with my siblings following suit and locked the doors. I walked towards the school buildings, climbing the steps to the main entrance.

"Hey, Bella," I heard from up ahead. I craned my neck to see around teems of students already crowding the hallway. I spotted Mike Newton make his way towards Bella waving frantically as she dug through her locker. I pushed my way through the students as quickly as possible. I was soon close enough to hear what Mike was talking to Bella about.

"So Bella, do you have any plans this Saturday?" he asked, leaning casually against the locker beside hers. I noticed that Bella was thinking of an excuse, so I decided to help her out.

"Bella's busy on Saturday," I said as I walked up behind Mike. I was prepared for him to flinch, but I certainly didn't expect him to jump and scream like a girl. He leaped up from the locker and spun around to face me. There was a bang against another locker as he threw a hand out to steady himself.

"Edward," Bella said, surprised. She closed her locker and turned to face me.

"Good morning," I replied.

"What do you want Cullen?" Mike spat as he regained his composure. "How do you know she's busy on Saturday? Are you her personal assistant or something?"

"No, Mike, Bella's a straight A student. She hardly requires a personal assistant. I've invited Bella to my house on Saturday," I retorted. Mike's eyebrows shot up into the air and Bella smiled in relief.

"Edward, you're just the person I wanted to see. I have a question about our biology homework. Bye, Mike," she said as she began walking away from her locker. _Kudos, Bella!_ I thought. That exit strategy _had_ to be pre-meditated…

"Dude, you just got dumped for Cullen!" I heard Eric Yorkie say as I kept pace with Bella.

"Shut up!" Mike scoffed. I could imagine his bottom lip jutting out.

"So did you mean that back there? You want me to go to your house on Saturday?" Bella asked as Mike and Eric fell out of earshot.

"Well, only if you want to Bella. You'll be quite welcome. Plus I think Esme would like to meet the person who's lifted my spirits for the last few days," I told her truthfully. I watched as she dipped her head, most likely hiding her blush.

"What time?" she asked after a few moments. I smiled inwardly.

"I should probably pick you up and drive you myself because the driveway's hard to find. How does eleven thirty sound? That way, you can stay for lunch. Esme's an incredible cook."

"Uh, sure, that sounds great," she replied. "So, I'll see you at lunch?"

"Absolutely."

***

Lunch arrived sooner than I'd expected. I entered the cafeteria and waited in line to buy food. The day was passing so quickly. Usually Wednesdays dragged because they were in the middle of the week, but today was almost over already.

"Edward," said a voice from behind me. I turned to see who had spoken, only to find that it was Alice. She certainly wasn't herself today. She still wore that puzzled frown, her whole body seemed ill at ease and she was fidgeting slightly, but not in her usual way. I grew more concerned for her by the second.

"Alice, what's wrong?" I asked. She looked down at her entwined hands and hesitated.

"Are – are you sitting with Bella today?" she said in a small voice. She peered up at me, almost as though she were ashamed for asking.

"Yes, I am. If you don't want me to, I'm sure she'll understand-," I was cut off by Alice shaking her head quickly back and forth.

"No, sit with Bella. I was going to ask if I can join you," she said. She looked up at me and her eyes were pleading with mine. Her usually piercing blue-grey eyes seemed to be just a dull grey. I'd never seen her so down before.

"You don't want to sit with Jasper?" I asked.

"No, it's not that. I just – I don't know – I don't feel like much company at the moment. You know how Emmett can be. He's louder than the entire student body put together. I've already told Jasper. He said he understands."

"Okay," I said softly and nodded. She smiled a little, but it was gone after just a few seconds had passed. She followed me silently down the cafeteria line, as I picked up a few slices of pizza. She simply reached for a small garden salad and a bottle of water. I paid for both of our meals and led the way to a vacant table. I took a bite of pizza as Alice poked at some lettuce with her fork. We'd been sitting for a few minutes when Bella arrived. She placed her tray down on the table and sat.

"Bella, this is Alice. Alice, this is Bella," I said with a smile and gesturing with my hand.

"Hi, Alice, it's nice to meet you," Bella said.

"It's nice to meet you too, Bella," Alice replied, seemingly in a slightly better mood than a few moments before.

"How's your day?" I asked Bella as she took a bite of her own slice of pizza.

"It's okay, I guess," she replied. We sat for a few moments in silence as Bella and I ate and Alice shuffled her salad around the bowl.

"I just don't get it, Edward!" Alice said suddenly. "How can I remember a song, but not my family?"

Just as I was about to reply, Bella spoke and stood up from her seat.

"Um, this seems like a family matter. Maybe I should go -,"

"No!" Alice exclaimed, flinging out a hand to grab Bella's wrist. She heaved Bella back down into her chair and flung her arms around her before she could protest. "Please stay."

Bella threw me a questioning glance as she returned Alice's hug. I just sighed. I was just as shocked as Bella was.

"You don't have to leave, Bella," Alice said pulling away from Bella. "I already think of you as a friend."

I sat and watched amazed that Alice still had a certain characteristic about her that came out no matter what mood she was in.

"You know, I have heard that music is easier to remember than most things. It's something to do with the way it calms people," Bella said to Alice, who then thought for a few minutes.

"Maybe the song isn't connected with my family then," Alice said sadly. She then went on to tell Bella about what happened in the car this morning. I sat and listened as they conversed. When lunch was over, Alice turned to me.

"Actually, Edward, I'm not feeling that well. Can you take me home?" she asked. I could tell that she was still upset about all that had happened today. No doubt Esme will be the one to put her at ease.

"Yes, of course, Alice. Bella, I should be back by about half way through class. Do you think you can fend off Newton until then?" I asked. Bella nodded and smiled a little. We all collected our lunch trays and put the rubbish in the bin. I noticed that Alice threw away her whole salad. Alice waved goodbye to Bella and I walked Alice to my car.

***

I returned just as I said I would, half way through biology. I took my seat beside Bella, thankful that I'd stopped to ask Esme for a note excusing my tardiness. I really didn't want detention.

I didn't get much of a chance to talk to Bella during class as I was spending most of the lesson catching up on what I'd missed. As soon as the bell rang, Bella asked me how Alice was once I'd gotten her home. I told her that Alice was pretty much the same as when she'd left school. I also told her not to worry too much. Alice has a lot of support and understanding at home, so she'd be fine in a day or two.

I walked Bella to gym and headed off to Spanish class, only to endure an hour of nudging and poking from a curious Emmett.

* * *

**A/N: **Phew! I finally got this chapter done! I'll try to speed up the story a bit next chapter.

Poor Alice! I have big plans for her!

Show me some love guys and hit that little green button. The more reviews, the quicker I'll update!

Melissa Kae :)


	7. Chapter 7

**A/N: **I'm launching straight into it, you guys have waited long enough.

**Disclaimer:** No witty comment here, a simple 'I don't own Twilight or any song used in this fic' is sufficient enough.

**This chapter is dedicated to _MaximilianCullen_ as a belated birthday gift. I hope you had a wonderful day :)**

**Recap: **Bella tries to look at pictures of her best friends in an attempt to put her past behind her but she has made friends with Edward who has invited her to the Cullen house for lunch. Meanwhile, Alice knows the lyrics to a 50's song that she doesn't remember hearing and struggles to remember her past.

**Chapter Seven: **I Guess My House Isn't Very "Bella Friendly"

**Song: **Dangerous And Sweet – Lenka

**EPOV**

I woke up on Saturday morning with Alice jumping all over me; literally. She was standing up on two feet and bouncing on any part of my huge bed that she could find, without actually trampling me. Of course, she was just small enough that she didn't hit her head on the canopy overhead – not that it would hurt. I stretched, trying to get my muscles working.

"Ouch!" I cried out as Alice landed on my foot.

"Oops, sorry Edward," Alice said as she bounced down onto her butt at the foot of the bed. I sat up and rubbed my foot, glaring at Alice as she grinned cheerfully back. "When's Bella coming over?" she asked. Still glaring at her, I frowned.

"How did you know Bella's coming over?" I replied. I hadn't told anyone that I was bringing Bella over today, not even Esme.

"Oh please, Edward, the whole school knows. Mike Newton's been telling anyone who'll listen."

Now I was dumbfounded. _The whole school knows?_ I sighed.

"I'm picking her up at eleven thirty."

"You're picking her up? She can't drive herself?" Alice asked, confused.

"I thought it would be better if I drove, that way she won't miss the turn off," I explained. Alice's expression turned passive.

"Geez, Edward, give the girl some credit. You make her sound incompetent. Missing a turn off isn't a huge drama."

"Look, Alice, she's never been here before, okay? It's a lot easier to show her the way, rather than give her directions," I said while tossing my duvet to the foot of the bed, covering Alice as she sat with her legs crossed.

"Then why didn't you say that in the first place?" her muffled voice replied as she struggled to pull the blanket off her head. She smoothed her hair down as I stood and made my way to the bathroom.

"I can never win with you, can I?" I asked as I paused at the doorway. Alice grinned and shook her head. I sighed again. Alice hadn't bounced back to normal as soon as I'd expected after I dropped her off at home on Wednesday. Surprisingly, it took Carlisle to sit down and talk with her for a while once he'd returned home from work. When I'd gotten back home that afternoon with Emmett, Rosalie and Jasper, she still seemed a little out of character. The best way to describe her that afternoon would probably be… normal – to an average person – but not normal Alice behaviour. I wasn't surprised when we walked in and just got a "Hey guys," and she continued on her way to wherever she was going within the house. Usually she'd dance her way over to Jasper and give him one of her lethal pixie hugs – not that he minded – and practically yell a hyped-up greeting at the rest of us.

Once she'd slept on the issue, she was back to her usual self. Don't get me wrong; there was no way in hell that she'd forget about it that easily. I knew it was still eating away at her, just not as extreme. Plus she hid it from the rest of the family by putting on a happy façade. Except for Jasper of course; he could always tell when there was something wrong.

Alice didn't join Bella and I at lunch for the remaining school days this week. I think she understood that I wanted space to get to know Bella better.

Just as I was about to close the bathroom door, Alice spoke.

"Oh, Edward?" she asked quickly.

I held the door ajar and raised my eyebrows at her, waiting for her to continue.

"I just thought you should know not to get on Rose's bad side today. Emmett was being an idiot this morning and threw a football at Jasper," she said. I frowned and tilted my head to the side, wondering what that possibly had to do with Rosalie. "Jazz didn't see the ball, so it bounced onto the island bar and knocked over a glass of juice. Rose got soaked. I'm surprised her screaming didn't wake you up."

_Great!_ I rolled my eyes and shut the door, blocking out the grinning pixie still sitting on my bed. The last thing I needed today was Rosalie in a fit.

***

I arrived at Bella's house five minutes early, noticing that her father's police cruiser wasn't parked in the driveway. I contemplated just waiting for her in my car as I parked, but I realised I wouldn't be able to sit still for that long. I got out and walked up her driveway to the front porch, climbed the few steps and knocked a few times on her front door. I waited for a few moments before I could hear movement on the other side of the door.

As Bella opened the door, I noticed she looked a little flushed, like she had just been running.

"Hi, Edward," she greeted me. "Sorry, I was upstairs. Would you like to come in for a few minutes? I have some things to do before we go." I certainly didn't have to think over my decision. I nodded.

"How are you this morning, Bella?" I asked as she moved aside. I walked through the threshold and into the hallway.

"I'm fine. How are you?" she asked as she closed the door.

"I'm fine," I replied. "What do you have to do before we leave?"

"There are just a few chores to do. It shouldn't take too long. Would you like something to drink? There's some soda in the fridge. Or coffee, if you'd like that instead," Bella said tentatively. I smiled encouragingly at her.

"A coffee sounds great, thanks." Bella nodded and moved off towards the kitchen. I turned and walked into the living room, I sat on the sofa for a few seconds, looking around the room. As this was my first time in Bella's house, I decided to make the best of my short visit. I stood again and moved off to examine the photographs on the mantle. Many of these were of Bella, evidently, but there were also photos of her dad – including a wedding photo. I didn't have to assume that the woman in the picture was Bella's mother; they looked very much alike, despite Bella having more of Charlie's features than her mother's.

I moved on to the photos sitting on a small table in the corner of the room, I gave them a swift glance and was about to return to the sofa, but one particular picture caught my eye.

The frame was new and the photo was recent; there was a date stamp on the bottom left of the photo that read September thirteenth of last year. Three people sat in this photo; Bella in the middle, with a girl on her left side and a boy on her right. The boy was stuffing a piece of cake into his mouth and the girl wore a party hat and was blowing a novelty whistle.

In the photo, Bella was smiling.

I'd never seen her smile in such a way before. She looked genuinely happy, carefree – contrasting greatly with the way she smiled in front of anyone at Forks High; even the way she smiled in front of me. I frowned.

Bella's smiles, I realised, were forced.

"Edward," Bella said from the doorway. I spun around to face her, quickly smoothing out my frown. She stood with a coffee mug in hand, her eyes downcast and pained and she was refusing to look in my direction. Curiosity rippled through me as I tried to figure out what could suddenly cause such a shift in her behaviour.

"I see that your dad has been keeping up with you with photographs," I said, placing the frame that I was holding back onto its place on the small table.

"Uh huh," she replied in a monotonous tone, nodding. I honestly couldn't tell what was going on behind those pained eyes. "Here's your coffee."

"Thanks," I said as I crossed the living room and took the mug from her hands. Finally, she looked up at me and her expression told nothing of what I'd just witnessed. In fact, I saw relief. My mind was reeling. Why would Bella change her mood so suddenly?

"I'm just going to do those chores," Bella said, before turning abruptly and leaving me in her living room. I returned to the sofa and sat, this time staying put while drinking my coffee. As I sat, I began to think.

While I had that photograph in my hand, Bella refused to look at me. Or maybe it wasn't me she wouldn't face? She looked up at me once I was standing right in front of her, as though nothing had happened.

Even Forrest Gump could figure it out. She wouldn't look at the photograph.

I stared at it from across the room. I searched the back corners of my mind trying to figure out what Bella found so intimidating about a simple photograph. The picture was a happy scene and Bella herself, was smiling widely.

The only thing I could think of was grief. Perhaps one of these friends in the photograph had been in some kind of an accident? Maybe Bella was still torn up over it.

It only took Bella fifteen minutes to complete whichever chores she had to do and soon we were both sitting my car, driving to my house. We were silent as I drove down the winding driveway, and in the quiet I realised just how nervous I was, having Bella meet my family. I tried not to imagine what could possibly go wrong; Emmett playing a prank on her, Rosalie ignoring her completely, or Esme telling her all of my embarrassing stories. I apprehended that I was being ridiculous – Esme would never do that.

Emmett and Rose on the other hand…

I heard Bella's quick intake of breath as soon as the house came into view through the trees. I chuckled.

"It's nice isn't it?" I asked. She shook her head slowly.

"It's more than that, it's beautiful," she gushed. She studied the three storey building as I parked near the front door. I got out and walked around to the passenger's side of the car to open the door for Bella. I laughed again as I saw that she hadn't moved an inch, still gaping at the grand white structure. I pulled open the door and ducked down so that my head was level with hers.

"If you think the outside is nice, you'll love the inside, it's even better. Come on, I'll show you around," I said. She literally shook herself from her reverie and unbuckled the seatbelt.

As soon as she was out of the vehicle, I walked beside her up the steps to the front door of my home. Uncharacteristically, my stomach was in knots, my nerves flaring up.

I opened the door and let Bella enter first. I watched her eyes widen as she took in the humongous room.

"Wow," she breathed. She was startled as her voice seemed to echo off the walls and floor-to-ceiling windows, a melodious sound which made my heart skip a beat.

I closed the door and hung up our coats.

"Would you like me to show you around before lunch?" I asked Bella. I saw curiosity spark in her eyes and she quickly nodded her head.

"Yeah, that sounds great."

I grinned and led Bella to the stairs while telling her about the house.

"Downstairs is the main living area; the kitchen, laundry, an office, a bathroom, the dining room and this is the living room of course," I said as Bella gazed around the room, taking everything in – including my grand piano, at which her eyes widened further – but continued silently. "The second floor is mainly bedrooms and offices. Then the top floor is another bedroom, Esme's office and the attic."

I noticed as Bella and I climbed the stairs that she held on tightly to the banister. I understood why when she tripped a few times. I tried to keep my amusement at a minimum.

When we reached the second floor landing, I began to point out the different rooms as we passed them by; Carlisle and Esme's bedroom and Carlisle's study, Rosalie's bedroom, Emmett's bedroom and Jasper's bedroom, along with a small bathroom at the end of the hall and finally, Alice's bedroom – in which Alice's favourite radio station could be heard through the open door, along with Alice's high trill singing along to the song currently playing (as we couldn't _see_ Alice, I figured she'd be buried in her closet) – I stopped at the entrance and knocked on her door.

"I hope you don't mind, Alice asked me to let her know when you're here," I explained to Bella. She simply nodded and chewed her bottom lip.

"Edward," I heard from Alice's room. Just as I thought, she was in her closet, now poking her head out through the doorway. Her eyes moved to Bella and they lit up exponentially. "Bella!"

I watched as she flitted over to us, a garment bag still in her tiny hands, and I grinned as she enveloped Bella in a pixie hug. I could only think about the fact that Alice had wholeheartedly accepted Bella into her life, no questions asked; literally. She had not yet asked Bella about herself in any shape or form.

"How are you?" my sister asked her, finally releasing her death grip. Bella, somewhat astounded, blinked twice before regaining her composure. I almost chuckled at her reaction.

"I'm fine. How are you, Alice?" she asked in return.

"I'm great! Bella, I was thinking about you -,"

This can't end well…

"-And I remembered that I had this at the back of the closet." Alice held up the garment bag and began to slide the toggle along the zip. She let the garment bag fall to the ground to reveal a pale green, floor length dress, the strapless bodice adorned with diamantes and the skirt made fully of tulle. The fact that I knew all of the technical jargon of a dress scared me, which probably meant that I'd let Alice ramble on about clothing a few too many times.

"Wow, Alice, that's a really nice dress," Bella said reluctantly. She, as I, was wondering what Alice had up her sleeve.

"I'm glad you like it!" Alice said, grinning. "Because I'm giving it to you."

Bella's reaction was hilarious. She started to stutter out her declinations, unable to string together a coherent sentence.

"Bella," Alice whined. "It's not like I'm going to wear it any time soon. I bought it online and they sent me the wrong size. I decided to keep it for somebody who may need it one day."

"Alice," I warned her, but Bella quickly registered what Alice had said and stopped dead, staring at Alice like she'd been slapped in the face.

"What do you mean, 'may need it'?" Bella asked, her voice dropping a pitch. Here I was thinking that when a woman's voice went shrill – like Rosalie's when she was mad – was what struck fear in men. I was just proven wrong.

I reached out and curled my fingers around Bella's upper arm, ready to restrain her should she need it. I was still getting to know Bella and I was unsure of how far she would actually go in certain situations.

"Alice," I warned again, but she ignored me.

"Well, the school is having a spring formal in a week's time and I thought that you might want to go," Alice explained as I watched Bella's face grow more and more horrified. She began to shake her head.

"I don't – I don't dance," Bella stuttered, suddenly self conscious. It was Alice's turn to be horrified.

"Oh," she said.

An uncomfortable silence fell over the three of us. Bella chewed her bottom lip and Alice pouted and looked woefully at the dress. I could tell that she had already pictured Bella in that dress in her mind. Hell, so had I. I cleared my throat and broke the unsteady quiet.

"Ah, maybe I should show you the rest of the house," I said to Bella. Her eyes, which were still trained on Alice, flickered up to meet mine. Still chewing her bottom lip she nodded hesitantly and with that, I turned and led her out of the room. I couldn't miss the guilt that spread across Bella's face as Alice disappeared from view.

"Hey, don't worry about it. It takes a lot to get used to Alice. Trust me, I know. I'll talk to her later," I said to Bella as we climbed the stairs up to the third floor.

Before I had a chance to think, my stomach was in more than just knots; it felt like there was an anchor in the pit of my stomach, which made it harder for me to reach the landing. Having Bella see my room was kind of unsettling; perhaps it was because my bedroom was my sanctuary, the place where I keep all of my treasured items; all of my deepest secrets – and I was about to let Bella into that little piece of my world. In a way, I was giving her a piece of _me_; a piece that I couldn't give her unless she stood right in the centre of it.

I hesitated in front of my closed bedroom door. Bella noticed and raised an eyebrow questioningly.

"What's this room?" she asked. I half smiled and reached for the doorknob.

"This," I said as I twisted the handle and drew a deep, bracing breath, "is my room."

I pushed the door open and stood aside for Bella to walk through. She gasped and her eyes widened, yet again, this time to the grandeur of my bedroom. I watched as she took in the golden carpet and walls, along with the huge king-sized bed that took up half the room. Her eyes moved over the black leather sofa before finally settling on the shelves packed with my music and expensive stereo system.

"You weren't kidding about the music," she said when she finally found her voice. She began to study the titles as I sat down on my sofa. I let her examine my extensive collection, her fingers stepping lightly over the spines of the CD cases as she read each title, cover by cover.

I found myself watching her as she did so. Her back was to me and I noticed that her straight, mahogany hair fell just a little below her shoulder blades. My eyes wondered on their own accord, down, taking in the soft curve of her spine and then down further to the flowing shape of her hips…

I tore my eyes away from her and I turned my gaze onto the carpet, trying to examine it thread by thread.

I had focused my attention so prominently that I hadn't even realised that Bella had finished perusing my music collection.

"Edward?" she asked me. I snapped out of my reverie.

"Sorry, what?" I replied, aware that she'd asked me a question.

"I suggested that we should get something to eat?" she repeated, her voice uncertain and sounding more like a question. I stood quickly and led the way to the door.

"That sounds like a great idea," I said, but Bella paused. Her gaze was fixed on a shelf right beside the door.

"Wait," she said. She tentatively stepped toward the shelf and picked up an antique frame, its tarnished, embossed silver was dull, not at all eye-catching. But I knew that it was the picture inside the frame that caught her attention. I simply watched in silence as she studied the image. Her fingers wiped away the thin layer of dust that had settled on the glass. Her brown eyes roamed over the figures and her lips were slightly parted, though her expression was soft and calm. After a few minutes, I found my voice.

"My parents," I explained, my voice almost a whisper. "And me. It was taken a few weeks before they got sick." Bella turned her eyes up to meet mine. Something in my expression made her avert her gaze again.

"I'm sorry, Edward, about your parents."

I took the frame from her and breathed in deep while I looked down upon the smiling faces of my mother, father and a nine year old version of myself. And for the first time in a long time, I found myself doing something I hadn't done since I'd first moved in with the Cullens. I was wishing that I could have my parents back again. My chest ached so badly, all of a sudden, that I felt winded. It took me a second to realise that I had been holding my breath. I exhaled slowly and shook my head.

"Don't feel sorry for me, Bella. It wasn't anyone's fault that they died, especially yours." I gently placed the frame back onto the shelf and picked up an old newspaper article that had been sitting folded beside the frame. I unfurled the piece of paper and handed it to Bella, who read the article aloud.

"_Edward and Elizabeth Masen: Chicago's favourite lawyer and his wife killed by a rare, albeit curable, virus. Prayers go out to 9 year old son, Edward Masen Jr._

_Co-workers, neighbours and friends are mourning the sudden and tragic death of Mr and Mrs Masen when they fell ill, seemingly from a common cold. It has been reported that Edward Jr. found his parents at their house upon arrival home from school and immediately sought help by calling 911. Edward Sr. (age 37) was in a state of unconsciousness when the paramedics arrived and though Elizabeth (36) was alert, she had a very high fever. Jeremy Pickett, one of the paramedics tending to Mrs Masen, described the determination of young Edward._

'_He wasn't going to leave his mother's side. He insisted on riding in the ambulance to the hospital and held her hand the whole way. We had to pry him off when Mrs Masen was admitted into the ICU.'_

_Doctors who were attending to Mr and Mrs Masen quickly identified the virus that had taken hold on the couple and explained that few cases have previously appeared in the whole of the USA. One doctor – Dr Carlisle Cullen – stated that if diagnosed soon enough and the proper antibiotics had been administered, Mr and Mrs Masen may be alive and well. Unfortunately, the earliest symptoms of this particular strand of virus are that of a common cold. It takes a practiced eye to notice the difference between the two infections, which is why it is so important to see a doctor at the first sign of illness – a cough or sore throat._

_And it was Dr Cullen who had noticed that Edward Jr., who was sitting in a waiting room, had developed a cough._

'_It was highly likely that Edward would have the same virus as his parents, due to prolonged exposure within his home,' Dr Cullen explained. 'He was burning up right under our noses in the waiting room. I picked him up and found him a bed.'_

_While Edward Sr. had passed shortly after arrival and Elizabeth just hours after, Edward Jr. was alert and asking about his parents._

'_It's the hardest part of our job,' Dr Cullen says, 'telling the family the bad news. There's no right or wrong way to do it. We just have to be sensitive to those who have lost somebody precious to them.'_

_Unfortunately, this untimely event has left Edward Jr. with no living family. Mr and Mrs Masen were both from single child families and regrettably, each of their parents passed away several years ago. Living arrangements have yet to be determined for Edward._

"Edward," Bella choked out my name, her voice thick with emotion. I couldn't see her face, I had walked to my bed and sat myself on the edge of the mattress, my elbows resting on my knees and my head in my hands, fingers gripping my hair as the memories of that day flooded my mind. It was painful enough to read the article myself. Having someone read it aloud had increased the pain tenfold. I heard Bella move over to me, hesitant, though determined. Then I felt her hand on my wrist.

Just as quickly, she jerked her hand away, just as I released my grip on my hair and stared wondrously at my wrist. I was certain I felt an electric shock, perhaps she'd felt it too… I looked up at her and she was rubbing the tips of her fingers with the pad of her thumb. She no longer held the newspaper article in her hand, so I assumed that she'd put it back on the shelf. I watched as she came and sat on the bed next to me.

"It's terrible. I don't know what I'd do if I lost my mom," she told me. I gave her a sad smile.

"Just your mom?" I asked. She sighed and fixed her gaze at the carpet.

"I've never really been that close to my dad. I only ever saw him during summer vacations. A whole two weeks each year."

I nodded in understanding as we sat in silence for a few moments. It was then that Bella's stomach let out a loud snarl. I couldn't help laughing.

"Come on, let's get you some food," I said, standing and leading the way to the door once again. Bella, blushing vividly, followed closely behind. Wordlessly, we walked side by side down the hallway and I enjoyed the calm quiet, save for the dull sound of our footsteps on the plush carpet.

"Are you okay, Edward? You seem a little out of it," Bella said as we walked down the second floor hallway. I shrugged before answering.

"Yeah, I'm fine. I'm just thinking about something." I kept my eyes downcast as I spoke. There was a short pause before Bella spoke again.

"You know, I know what it's like to lose someone."

I glanced up to see her staring at a painting on the wall.

"Who did you lose?" I asked curiously. I know I probably shouldn't have pried, but I wanted to know her answer. Her eyes flickered to meet mine for a split second and then just as quickly, they turned and stared straight forward, to the end of the hallway.

"My…," she said hesitantly. She squeezed her eyes shut for a few seconds and got a weird look on her face. "Grandmother."

Lie. In the sense that that was not what she was going to tell me. Sure, she really may have lost her grandmother, but there was someone dearer to her, or possibly more recent; somebody she was still grieving over. I narrowed my eyes, but held my tongue, choosing not to call her out.

As we made it down to the living room, I led Bella to the kitchen. I noticed her taking in all of the things she missed upon our arrival; the sixty inch plasma television that was shipped in from Korea, the flawless white lounge set that Esme ordered specially, the glass topped coffee table, the family portraits blown up to massive proportions, along with works of unique art and decorative vases sitting on the mantle or on antique side tables and cabinets.

The kitchen door was open and I could hear Esme preparing lunch. She looked up as Bella and I appeared in the doorway. She smiled warmly before wiping her hands on a dish towel. She made her way around the island bar as I began introductions.

"Mom, this is Bella. Bella, this is my mother."

I watched as Esme went straight for a hug – a typical Esme greeting.

"It's great to meet you, Bella. I've already heard so much about you," Esme said as her arms fell back down by her sides, her smile still warm. I couldn't help but notice the slight confusion on Bella's face and honestly couldn't figure out why. It was okay to tell your mother about your friends, right? And I had. But, for some reason, I couldn't help but feel a little ashamed; maybe Bella didn't want to know I'd talked to my mom, of all people, and Esme had gone right ahead and blurted it out.

"It's nice to meet you too, Mrs Cullen," Bella replied. Esme shot me a look.

"You can call me Esme, dear. Just because Edward's old fashioned, it doesn't mean we all are that formal."

I bit the inside of my cheek to stop myself from grinning. For once, I had nothing to do with it, Esme just assumed.

"Edward, would you mind getting your brothers? Tell them that lunch is almost ready and to get the girls," Esme said as she picked up a stack of plates. "Bella, would you mind helping me set the table?"

As I walked out of the kitchen, Bella nodded her head and held her hands out to take the plates from Esme. I could hear Jasper and Emmett outside in the backyard, so I made my way to the back door. Once outside, I stopped on the patio and I saw them tossing a football between them. After a fumble by Jasper, the ball landed halfway between them and both dived in to retrieve it. They collided and began a wrestling match. Just when Jasper managed to pull Emmett's shirt up over his head, I decided to break up their little tussle, as amusing as it was to watch, but their testosterone battle almost had me joining in.

"Hey, Jazz, Em, lunch is ready. Esme wants you to get Alice and Rosalie."

By this stage, Jasper had both hands firmly on the football, but he was stuck in a headlock by Emmett, who was also giving him a noogie. However, Emmett was the first to stop.

"Did someone say food?"

I rolled my eyes and turned back to the house. Just inside the doorway, I paused and waited for my brothers to catch up. Emmett barged in quicker than I expected, leaving Jasper trailing several metres behind, spinning the football between his fingers. Just before Jasper put one foot in the back door, Esme's stern voice floated out from the dining room.

"Jasper, the football stays _outside_."

He stopped dead in his tracks and his face went blank.

"_How_ does she do that?" he asked me as he threw the ball out the door and back out onto the grass. I just shrugged and nudged him as he closed the door behind him. He nudged me back – harder – and I lost my footing. I collided with a small set of drawers and cursed loudly. I regained my balance and shoved Jasper back, but he was waiting and ready for my attack.

"Bring it!" he said, laughing. I knew he could beat me in a wrestling match, but it didn't stop me from trying. I knew all of his moves and had learned to block them most of the time, but being the taller of us two, he still had the advantage.

Just as I was about to tackle him, Esme stepped out of the dining room door and stood with her arms crossed over her chest. I stood up straight and smoothed my shirt. Jasper stood with his head bowed slightly. We both knew we were in trouble.

"You," Esme said, pointing at Jasper, "upstairs. Clean up. Get Alice. You," she said, her finger flicking to point at me, "dining room. And watch your language. I expected you of all people to behave better."

Esme stood planted to the spot as Jasper trudged past and headed for the stairs and I made my way into the dining room. Esme followed right after me and noticing that Bella had finished setting the table, she told Bella to take a seat and wait for everyone else to join her. Just as I was about to take a seat, Esme quickly stopped me.

"Not you, Edward. I need a hand with the food."

I followed Esme into the kitchen and waited for her to hand me a plate.

"They were wrestling again, weren't they?" she asked me, "Jasper and Emmett."

I just nodded a reply.

"Hmm, yes, I can tell. You only every wrestle if you see them do it first. Though I wish you wouldn't. They're much bigger than you, dear, and you're more than likely the one to get hurt," she continued as she picked up a bowl of Greek salad and passed it across the island bar to me.

"Mom," I said. I didn't mean for it to sound contemptuous, but it did.

"Don't '_mom_' me, Edward. You know Emmett gets too rough sometimes. Remember last spring?"

Oh yes. I did. I was almost sure that Emmett had broken it and wouldn't back down until Carlisle told me otherwise… ten times. The blood pouring from my nose argued with Carlisle's diagnosis. Eventually I got over it, but when Alice found out that I'd spoiled the shirt she'd bought me for Christmas the previous year, she just about screamed the house down. Something about being Dolce and Banana or something…

Sighing, I turned and took the bowl of salad to the dining room and placed it onto the centre of the table. Esme, who had followed behind with a baking dish full of lasagne, gave me the okay to sit before she returned to the kitchen.

"This smells great," Bella commented as I sat in the seat beside her. I sniffed the air.

And all I could smell was grease.

I turned in my chair to face the doorway and just as I expected, Rosalie was walking in, her hair tied back messily and dressed in a pair of grubby overalls.

"Rose," I greeted her as she took a seat at the opposite end of the dining table.

"What?" she huffed as she picked up her napkin and placed it on her lap.

"Uh," I hesitated, "Rose, this is Bella. Bella, meet Rosalie."

Rosalie simply glanced at Bella, faked a smile and glanced away again.

"Hi," Bella said as she chewed her bottom lip. "I think," she added quietly, so only I could hear. I simply caught her eye and shrugged apologetically. I knew Rose was in a bad mood, but I expected worse.

We all sat in silence until Esme re-entered the room holding a basket of bread sticks and a pitcher of homemade lemonade. As she placed them on the table, she glanced at Rosalie, her nose crinkled.

"Rosalie, dear, would you mind changing before lunch? We have a guest. And you've been working with grease again haven't you?"

"It's just Isabella," Rosalie replied snidely. "And yes, I've been working with grease. So what?"

"_So_, Rosalie, you've brought the smell inside with you. Now go upstairs and change before I ground you," Esme demanded. Rosalie stayed put for a few seconds before shoving back in her chair and standing.

"Fine," she snapped as she stormed from the room. Esme looked up at Bella and sighed.

"I'm sorry about that Bella. There was a mishap this morning and Rosalie has been in a bad mood for a majority of the day," she said.

"That's okay, I understand." Bella paused for a second. "Why does she smell like grease?"

I chuckled.

"Rosalie like cars," I said. Comprehension spread across Bella's face.

"Oh."

Soon enough we could hear Emmett and Jasper arguing over which game they were going to play after lunch. They walked in through the door just as Jasper was saying something about a giant chess tournament.

"Urgh, must you always be the academic one? Chess is hard enough with one board and you want to play with three? No way, dude," Emmett said as he sat opposite me at the table. "How about some baseball? Edward will play baseball. What do you think, Edward? Feel like playing some ball?"

"Maybe later. Em, Jazz, this is Bella. Bella, Emmett and Jasper," I said, indicating to each of them as Jasper sat down by my other side.

"Yeah, I know who she is. So, Bella, you're the one who's taken a shine to our shy-boy here," Emmett responded. I swung a foot and kicked his shin – hard. I watched with an annoyed face as he yelped and reached down to rub his leg. "Aw, man, that's gonna bruise!"

"It's nice to meet you, Bella," Jasper said.

"You had it coming, Emmett!" I said.

"Thanks, Jasper," Bella said.

"You didn't have to kick me!" Emmett shot back at me.

"_What is wrong with this family today?!_" Esme exclaimed. "Emmett, stop calling your brother names. Edward, don't kick your brother, you're not five. Jasper," – he flinched – "where is Alice?"

"Oh, she said she's not hungry," he replied, relaxing after realising that he wasn't actually in trouble. From beside me, Bella groaned.

"Esme, if you don't mind, I'm going to go talk to her," she said, standing up.

"Alright. See if you can convince her to come down," Esme replied.

"Bella, you don't have to, I can -," I said quietly, shifting in my chair to stand. She held out a hand to stop me.

"No, Edward, I'll be fine. Stay," she replied, just as quiet. She turned and made her way out of the dining room. I turned back to the table and I began to drum my fingers on the table. I looked up at Emmett and stopped.

"What," I said, "are you grinning at?"

Emmett was just sitting there watching me with the biggest smirk I'd ever seen on his face.

"Nothing," he replied, continuing his creepy leer. I sat glaring at him for a few seconds.

"Would you stop?!" I asked incredulously.

"Emmett! Edward! I have a right mind to ground the both of you! You're lucky that Carlisle is working a double shift today. He's not going to be happy when he hears about your behaviour," Esme said crossly. One more slip-up and I'm grounded. Yikes. That hasn't happened for a long time.

"Do you have to tell dad?" Emmett asked sulkily. Uh-oh, bad move Em.

"Yes, I have to tell him! What would make you think otherwise, Emmett? And just so you know, no Nintendo, Playstation or Xbox for a week."

"Aw, mom!" he whined.

"Make that two!" she concluded. Emmett slumped in his chair, folded his arms on the table and rested his chin on them. "For God's sake, Emmett, sit up straight!"

He did so, begrudgingly, probably not wanting to go another week without his video games. We all sat without talking for another five minutes or so.

I looked up as Rosalie came back into the room, this time wearing a red, silk blouse, skinny jeans and impossibly high heels – how women walk in those clogs, I'll never know – and this time there was no eau de grease.

"That's much better, Rosalie, thank you," Esme commended her, smiling warmly.

"Uh huh," Rosalie replied, taking her seat next to Emmett. She placed her napkin back onto her lap and looked up at Emmett, noticing his placidity. "What's up with you?"

"Grounded," he grunted in return. Rosalie smirked.

"What did you do this time?"

"I smiled," he grunted again. I had to choke back my laughter when I saw Rosalie's face change from conceit to confusion. She glared at me, which gave me enough reason to stop. It seemed that every little thing was getting on her nerves today.

As we waited for Alice and Bella, Esme struck up a conversation with Jasper about his history project about the civil war, Emmett continued to sulk, Rosalie examined her fingernails and I sat staring at the polished surface of the dining table, one leg bouncing on the spot. I'd just realised that it was never this quiet at mealtimes, but considering the events that took place today – well, it was understandable.

Finally, after about five more minutes waiting, Bella appeared at the doorway… with Alice attached to her arm, who was grinning so widely, it's amazing that her cheeks didn't split into two. Even Bella was smiling – forced again – but it was still a smile. I guess they sorted out the awkwardness that came after their little… was _clash_ the right word? Either way, they were clearly past that now. Bella took her seat beside me once more and Alice sat in the seat adjacent to her – Carlisle's usual place – at the end of the table. We finally made a start on lunch.

While we were eating, Alice was talking to Bella at a mile a minute and – with the help of food – Emmett's mood lightened too. He even agreed to take on Jasper in the giant chess tournament. I wondered if they even followed regular chess rules, having three boards instead of one.

As Rosalie softened up a little, she began talking to Esme about some interior design she'd been planning for her bedroom. I joined in a conversation with Emmett and Jasper about a camping trip they'd been planning, while Bella and Alice continued to chat away, getting to know each other better, which I decided would be good for both of them.

After everyone had eaten their lasagne and salad – in Emmett's case, two serves as usual – we slowly dispersed from the dining room. Rosalie returned to the garage, Emmett and Jasper went out onto the patio with three chess sets, Alice returned to her room to finish sorting her wardrobe and Esme made herself busy in the kitchen again, cleaning up after lunch. Bella and I – after offering to help Esme and being turned down – ventured out into the living room.

"So, what do you want to do now?" I asked her as she examined the family portraits on the walls. She stopped for a moment to think, casting her gaze around the room. Her eyes settled on none other than my grand piano.

"Will you play for me? Like you promised the other day?" she asked, her bottom lip getting caught between her teeth again.

"I think I can manage that," I replied, grinning. I jerked my head in the direction of the piano. "Come on."

She followed me as I lead the way and as I took a seat in front of the keys, she stood awkwardly to my right. I shifted across to the left and patted the now vacant space on the seat.

"Here, sit," I said. Bella's face turned a little surprised and her cheeks flushed red, but she acquiesced. "Hmm, what'll I play?" I wondered out loud. "Ah! Perfect."

I placed my fingers over the black and white keys and began to play 'Clair de Lune'. Remembering our conversation from our first meeting, I decided that playing a song that I knew Bella liked would be a good idea. I heard the small intake of breath as she sat and watched. I kept my eyes focused on the keys, certain that if looked up at Bella, I'd be distracted. And so I continued to play through the song.

When I played the final few notes, I took a chance and glanced up at Bella. She had the softest, content look upon her face; open and vulnerable to everything. It was as though all of her troubles had melted away and she was simply here in this very moment… with me. Realising that I was able to engage that reaction in her, I myself, was in awe. The only thing missing on Bella was a proper smile.

"Bella, can I ask you something?" I asked her cautiously. She looked up at me, calm, albeit curious.

"I guess so," she replied. She was still in her lackadaisical state of ease. I couldn't be sure she'd give me the answer I wanted, but perhaps her current mood would allow herself to open up to me a little.

"Did something happen in Phoenix? Is that why you came to Forks?"

All in an instant, several emotions flickered across her face – shock, sadness, pain – but eventually nothing. Her face had turned blank and I couldn't tell what she was thinking. She sat immobile as she stared up into my face. Eventually, her eyes narrowed and she spoke.

"I don't want to talk about it."

I frowned. She more or less just confirmed that something _had_ happened – confirmed that she'd left Phoenix to get away from what had happened.

Suddenly, she was more vulnerable to me than she'd been so far. In her unconscious confession, she'd shown me her weakest side; the side that steered her most pivotal decisions.

The decision to _run away_.

I felt an aching thud in my chest. I knew that it was pity and I didn't like it. I didn't want to pity Bella; I wanted to be here for her. I wanted to be someone she could trust.

"You can talk to me, Bella. Whatever it is – whatever you left behind – it'll stay between us."

Her face crumbled just a little bit. She turned her attention to her hands resting in her lap.

"I know that, Edward. It's not that I don't trust you. It's just that… it's hard – saying it out loud. I'll tell you one day. I _want _to. Just not right now. Can you understand that?" she asked me, glancing up at me again. Her eyes were pleading with me to keep my silence and to not press the matter.

"Of course, Bella. I won't try to force it out of you," I replied. However, I realised that that's what I'd been doing all along… subtly, but definite. I had been selfish, trying to get an answer from her, but I knew now that she had to tell me on her own terms, not on mine. _And so she will_, I vowed silently.

"Thank you, Edward."

I smiled and turned my attention back to the piano. No sooner had I hit one key, a ruckus came from the door that lead out into the back yard. I turned on the seat to see that Emmett and Jasper were bringing the chess sets back inside and putting them away again.

"Dude, I thought you said you had the rules set out for a three board game," Emmett complained.

"Well, I was never certain. I'm not perfect you know," Jasper replied.

"Oh! He admits it! Guess what everybody! Mr. Perfect-pants over here admits that he doesn't know everything!" Emmett bellowed, followed by his raucous laughter.

"Alright, you've had your moment. Can we find something else to do please? Why don't we just play some more football, since it's a game that your mind can actually comprehend?" Jasper retorted. I snorted and both their eyes were on me and Bella. "Oh," Jasper continued, "I didn't even see you two there. Want to join us for some football?"

I glanced at Bella, my eyes silently asking if she'd play football with my brothers, but I saw immediately that she really didn't want to. I assumed she wasn't the athletic type and turned back to Jasper and Emmett with my reply.

"No, that's okay guys. I think we're fine here."

"Well, if you change your minds, we'll be in the backyard," Emmett concluded, and the two of them turned and left the house.

"So," I started, "what do you think of my brothers?"

Bella contemplated her answer for a moment, her face bemused.

"Well… they're okay, I guess. Is Emmett always like that?"

I couldn't help but laugh. Her expression and her question combined made it hard to keep a straight face myself.

"Yep, pretty much," I told her. "They take a while to get used to. Jasper's actually fairly quiet most of the time. But Emmett… it took me a while to adjust to him when he first joined the family."

She nodded and hit a random key on the piano with her index finger. She looked up and glanced around the room, as though looking for something. Her eyes rested at last, upon a small clock on a nearby shelf, and widened when she read the time.

"It's already ten past two?" she asked. Surprised, I looked to make sure for myself and sure enough, she was not wrong.

"Is that a bad thing?" I asked her. Maybe she had somewhere to be.

"Well, no, not really. I just have more chores to do when I get home, not to mention catch up on half a semester's schoolwork," she explained.

"Oh, well if you have things to do at home, I can take you if you'd like?" I asked her. She nodded.

"But first I want to say thank you to Esme, if that's okay?" she said.

"Of course. Come on," I replied, standing. However, as Bella stood, she caught her foot on the leg of the stool and lost her balance. I flung my arms out to steady her and managed to catch her before she really fell.

"You really have to stop doing that," I told her.

"I don't do it on purpose. I just happen to be the most uncoordinated person in existence," she replied. I chuckled. It didn't take a fool to see that. If Emmett, of all people, could make up a crude little limerick about it in less than twenty four hours of knowing her, then it must be obvious. "Uh, Edward. Are you going to let me stand on my own two feet any time today?"

"Oh, sorry!" I said quickly. I hadn't even realised that I was still holding her upright. I dropped my arms and I felt my face heat up a little. That was – by all definitions – embarrassing. I scratched the back of my neck nervously. "Um, I think Esme's still in the kitchen. I'll wait for you by the door."

With that, Bella made her way back to the kitchen to thank Esme for lunch and I pulled on my coat. I even took Bella's coat from the rack so that it was ready for her. When Bella finally emerged from the kitchen, I helped her into her coat and opened the door to let her pass. I saw a slight flicker of emotion pass over her face, but I couldn't think of what it was. I thought it was odd, none the less.

We didn't say much as I drove back to Bella's house. I guessed that knowing our time together today was almost over was what caused the silence. I wasn't complaining – it was a comfortable silence at that.

"Thanks for inviting me over today, Edward. It was nice to meet your family. Well, besides Rosalie," Bella said as I pulled into her still vacant driveway. I chuckled.

"Don't think about Rosalie too much. She's not a people person when she's in a good mood either. But I'm glad you had a good time," I replied, turning the ignition off. We sat wordlessly for a few more moments, the air suddenly tense.

"So… I'll see you at school on Monday then," she said as she opened the car door.

"Yeah, definitely. See you at school."

She climbed out of the car and before she closed the door again, she bid me farewell. I waited until she had the front door of her house open before I fired up the engine. Bella waved and I reciprocated as I reversed out of her driveway. She closed the door behind her as I switched the gear into drive. I breathed a huge sigh of relief as I took off down the street, my whole body alive with a foreign emotion.

* * *

**A/N:** Finally! That was a long chapter I know, but I felt like you all deserved it after the long wait.

Hopefully the next chapter will be up in a few weeks, depending on what is happening in my life. I'm moving again soon, so I'll probably be busy for the coming weeks. But I'll see what I can do. You can keep up with me on my twitter, blogspot and LiveJournal (Links on my profile). I'll be posting my fic status on those.

Speaking of next chapters, chapter 8 will start after a short time jump. Edward and Bella will have gotten to know each other better, also Alice and Bella's friendship will have grown.

I have a question for you all that I'd like some opinions on... Would you prefer if I updated with shorter chapters more often, or longer chapters whenever I can manage? (perhaps a few weeks apart). I'll put this up as a poll on my profile, or you can also do the poll on my blogspot.

I love to hear your thoughts, so please leave a review, even if it's only one word... quick and straight to the point!

Melissa Kae :)


	8. Chapter 8

**A/N:** Wow, it took two attempts to write this chapter! But at least the break wasn't nearly as long as last time!

A quick shout out to _Marrabelle_, who has been asking me when Carlisle will be showing up. He's in here more than I expected! His role is vital to the story, so there'll be more of him soon. Enjoy!

Again, this chapter is both EPOV and BPOV. And I'm introducing a new original character! Don't worry, you'll all love him.

**Disclaimer:** Twilight belongs to Stephenie Meyer and the term "superhuman moron" belongs to Robert Pattinson via the Twilight movie commentary. Lol! Also, no song used in this fic belongs to me.

**Chapter Seven: **Just When It's All Going Your Way… BAM!

**Song: **What We Do To Ourselves – Adam Brand

**EPOV**

I woke up with a kink in my neck. I knew beforehand that falling asleep on my sofa wouldn't be a good idea. However, when doing so was completely unintentional, what could I do about it then? I sat up and stretched, joints cracking and the book that I'd been reading the night before was now lying on the floor, pages furled. I was still wearing yesterday's clothes; a dark blue t-shirt and black jeans. I was thankful that Esme liked a warm climate and kept the heating on overnight, otherwise I'd have woken up in the middle of the night freezing my ass off. Though, it would serve me right – I vaguely remember thinking I should go to bed when my eyelids began to droop, but no, I was determined to finish the chapter.

Well, I didn't finish the chapter; the only thing I accomplished was losing the page I was on.

I glanced at the glowing LCD display on my alarm clock and decided that six thirty would be as good a time to get up as any. There would be no way to sleep now anyway. I stood and rubbed my sore neck muscles and made my way to the bathroom for a shower, hoping that the hot water would relieve the tension in my neck.

It worked a little, but not entirely. I dried and dressed and brushed my teeth, forgoing trying to neaten my hair, and went downstairs for breakfast. By the time I made it to the bottom step of the first floor, I could already smell bacon cooking; the delicious scent wafting from the kitchen made my mouth water. I walked to the kitchen and was met by Carlisle and Esme, both sitting at the island bar with a mug of coffee and a plate of bacon and eggs. It wasn't often that I'd see Carlisle in the mornings. Usually by the time I got out of bed and downstairs every day, he had already left for work at the hospital.

Both parents looked up when I entered the room. Esme greeted me with a warm smile and Carlisle threw me an astounded look.

"Good morning, Edward. To what do I owe the honour of your presence so early in the morning?" Carlisle joked. I smirked and moved across the room to the coffee pot to pour myself a cup.

"My stupidity. For falling asleep on the sofa last night. Completely by accident of course, but my neck is in knots," I said, taking a sip of the glorious hot coffee and letting out a satisfied hiss as it slid down my throat. I sat the mug on the counter and turned to help myself to the bacon and eggs.

"Well that'll teach you. There's a reason for pillows, you know. Don't make me go all doctor on you this early in the morning," Carlisle said, grinning and taking his last bite of bacon. He wiped his mouth on a napkin and leant over to kiss Esme on the cheek. "Well, I'm off. Have a nice day and I'll see you both this afternoon." He gulped down the last of his coffee, stood and left the kitchen, heading for the front door. Esme stood and cleared both her plate and Carlisle's from the bar and placed them into the dishwasher as I sat down in the seat that Carlisle had just vacated. I started shoving eggs into my mouth as Esme began a conversation.

"How on earth did you manage to fall asleep on the sofa?" she asked curiously, retaking the seat beside me.

"I wav reabing uh book," I mumbled with my mouth full. I'd have been amazed if Esme could understand me. She gave me an annoyed look. I knew she hated it when we spoke with our mouths full of food, especially Emmett, but let's face it, I was Esme's favourite and I could get away with these things occasionally.

"That must have been either one interesting book for you to not want to put it down, or a very dull one," she said, joking lightly. "What was it about?"

"It's a book that Bella suggested that I read. Is it weird that I can relate to Dorian Gray?" I teased, knowing well that Esme had most likely read '_The Picture of Dorian Gray_' since it was a classic, and I wanted to see her reaction.

"Edward!" she said sharply. She folded her arms across her chest and quirked an eyebrow at me questioningly, waiting for an explanation. Judging by her expression, she knew that Dorian Gray was a man who lived a life of self indulgence in his state of prolonged youth, his portrait taking the corruption of his lies and injustice that he forced onto others. Dorian's greed led him to allow the man who painted the portrait to see its withering state and then kill the aging artist for laying his eyes upon it. By this time, Dorian's greed had turned all his friends against him, and he was then stalked by the vengeful brother of a woman he'd scorned while in his youth. I could tell that Esme was contemplating how I could possibly relate to such a monster of a human being.

"Well he was exceptionally good looking wasn't he?" I asked, grinning. Esme threw her hands up into the air and let out an exasperated gasp.

"I know I didn't raise you to be conceited. I'd have a decent half-baked excuse if it was Rosalie's influence, but neither of you give each other the time of day. And speaking of Bella, how is she? You haven't brought her around since her first week in Forks."

I ducked my head. It was true that I hadn't had Bella come to my house since Bella's first week in Forks. Bella had now been in Forks for two months. We always sat at the same lunch table away from my siblings – with the exception of Alice who occasionally joined us for lunch – and instead of using her own textbook in biology, she shared mine. We talked every chance we got and I now knew small trivial things that made her who she was – her favourite colour for instance, was green, though she refused to tell me why, and though her favourite take-out food was Mexican, she preferred to cook for herself. But she had not yet told me about why she'd come to Forks, as she promised, but I was determined to stay true to my vow and not press the matter.

"Oh, well how about I invite her over this weekend?" I asked Esme, lifting an eyebrow. She agreed, smiling warmly and let me finish my breakfast. She reached across the counter for an interior design magazine that was sitting beside the fruit basket and began thumbing through it, humming occasionally at some item or another.

As I shoved the last traces of egg and bacon into my mouth, Alice flitted through the kitchen doorway. Esme promptly closed the magazine and stood, turning to the stove and dishing up some eggs for Alice.

"No bacon for me, Esme, but thanks for asking," Alice said politely as she shook her head and reached into a drawer for some cutlery. Esme paused and sighed.

"How is it that you know exactly what I'm going to say, even before I say it?" Esme asked. Alice grinned widely.

"Because whenever you cook bacon, you always ask. Even Edward here could've predicted that," she snickered. Esme cocked a brow and glanced at me, silently daring me to respond. I just shrugged and stood to rinse my plate and put it in the dishwasher. It was true that Esme was a little predictable, but I wasn't going to be the one to tell her that – she'd most likely ask Carlisle when he returned home from work for reassurance.

I left Alice and Esme to their morning chatter and made my way back upstairs to gather my school things and my jacket. On my way past Emmett's bedroom, he appeared in the doorway with his school bag slung over one shoulder.

"Hey, Edward, don't forget, I've got football practice this afternoon for the game tomorrow, so you'll have to give Rose a lift home," he said as he stepped out into the hallway. I frowned.

"Why? What's wrong with her car?" I asked.

"She said there's a hose that needs replacing and she doesn't want to drive it until she gets a new one." He shrugged and continued on walking to the stairs. I shook my head and started up the stairs to the third floor.

I walked along the hallway to my room, but just as I was about to enter, I heard an odd squeak. It didn't sound like a loose floorboard and I even tested the spot I was standing on, but I didn't hear it again. My head snapped around to face further along the hallway when a dull thud caught my attention.

I began to walk in the direction of the noises, and more sounds became apparent. There was scuffling coming from the attic.

The attic wasn't necessarily an actual attic, but more of a spare room where a lot of old furniture and books were kept. There were vinyl records (of which I'd asked for permission to raid. The better of them were now in my room), lamps, and chairs, along with an old desk and an antique rocking chair that we were forbidden to sit in. The attic wasn't out of bounds, we were allowed to enter, but as long as we didn't break anything, we were fine.

I heard a weird scratching noise coming from the room and slowed my pace to a cautious creep. Then I heard the squeak again, but I now recognised that it wasn't a squeak at all. I breathed a sigh of relief, thankful that it wasn't something dangerous. However, I was still confused. I couldn't figure out how it could've possibly gotten inside the house.

I opened the attic door slowly and the head of a small, tabby kitten popped out around the edge of the door. It was sitting just inside the room beside the door and as soon as it saw me, it stood and pranced its way out of the room. It began to rub around my ankles, so I bent down and scooped it up with one hand.

"Well, hello there," I said, holding it up so get a good look at it. It glared at me with wide, yellow eyes and let out a small mew. Okay, so maybe it really was more like a squeak.

I tucked the kitten against my chest and pushed the attic door open wider. Sitting in plain sight, was a cat bed, two bowls and a litter box. Someone was in trouble… but whom?

I thought for a moment and closed the door. I turned and made my way back to my room, deciding what to do with the ball of fluff. I sat it down on my bed for a moment, told it to stay – like it could understand me – and quickly gathered up my school things and shoved them into my backpack. I slung it over my shoulder and turned back to my bed. In the few moments that my back was turned, the kitten had curled up on the foot of my bed and gone to sleep. It really was a cute kitten – and in realising this, it struck me that it had most likely been Alice to stash it away. Alice was a sucker for anything smaller than herself; she felt protective over things like that.

I sighed, scooped it back up and made my way downstairs. As the kitchen came into view, I could see Alice still sitting at the island bar finishing her breakfast. As I approached the kitchen doorway, I made a show of petting the kitten.

"Are you guys almost ready to go?" I asked as I stood and leaned against the door frame. Esme turned and as soon as her eyes fell upon the tabby cat, they widened and her mouth fell agape.

"Edward! Is that a _kitten_?" she asked, astonished. I held it up and mockingly looked it over.

"Well, it's not a horse," I joked. She didn't seem to appreciate the jest, but my attention was on Alice, who had just jumped up from the stool with a shocked look on her face. "I found it in the attic."

"_It_ is a _he_, Edward," Alice said then. "And his name is Diego." She took a few steps towards me and held her arms out for the cat. I handed it over and she turned quickly to face Esme, cradling the miniature feline in her arms. "_Please_, can we keep him?"

"Alice, how did a kitten get into the house without my knowledge?" Esme asked sternly. She crossed her arms over her chest and waited for an answer. Alice simply pouted and gave Esme puppy-dog-eyes. Of course, Esme caved – nobody can resist Alice's puppy-dog-eyes. "Fine, Alice, you can keep him. But that doesn't answer my question."

"Well, as you know, Jasper and I went to Seattle on Saturday and just as we were leaving a clothing store, I could hear something nearby. I found Diego sitting at the opening of an ally and he was soaked because it was raining and I couldn't leave him there to freeze, so Jasper and I took him to a groomer to get him cleaned up before we took him to a vet to check for a microchip and make sure he wasn't sick, but because they didn't find a chip, they asked me if I'd like to keep him and now he's mine, all mine." Alice was now beaming, having finally gotten permission to keep the kitten.

"Well, I'm glad to hear that you did the right thing, dear," Esme said, her eyes wide and staring at Alice, which didn't surprise me; Alice had barely taken a breath. "Though, I would've appreciated if you'd called to me to let me know beforehand."

Alice gave her a guilty smile, but snuggled Diego up under her chin and scratched behind his ears. I pushed off away from the doorframe and turned to leave the kitchen. I paused and spoke to Alice.

"I'll be out in the car when you're ready."

Alice nodded and I made my way to the front door.

x

I sat next to Bella, Alice and Jasper in the cramped auditorium. The students had all been called for an assembly regarding a pep rally that would be taking place tomorrow. There would be no classes, but all students were required to attend like a normal school day and show support for their school sports teams; in this case, football.

Mr Greene stood on stage at the podium, announcing that, to get all students involved, tasks would be assigned to any able hand. Lists would be posted on notice boards later in the day, allocating students to their assigned duties. Some tasks were as simple as handing out drinks to guests, cheerleaders and athletes. Other students were allocated to making posters and others to selecting music to be played out over the speakers.

The assembly finished with fifteen minutes remaining of first period. As the students filed out of the auditorium, I held Bella back and she gave me a puzzled look. Once most of the students had gone, I motioned for Bella to follow me and I led her to the stage piano that stood before the stage.

"What are you doing, Edward?" she asked me curiously. I pointed to the few remaining teachers and whispered so that only she could hear.

"You'll see."

She frowned, but didn't say anything. I sat at the piano and began to play one of the more intricate classical pieces that I'd learned over the years, knowing that the teachers could hear.

x

I grinned triumphantly as I read my name on the 'music selection' list.

"Wow," Bella said flatly. "You know, that could almost be classified as cheating."

"It's called manipulation," I replied, chuckling. "What are you assigned to?"

"Posters," she sighed. We started walking down the hallway to the cafeteria for lunch. "You know, sport and the whole team spirit thing doesn't interest me. I'm almost inclined to get my dad to write a note and excuse me from school, since there's no actual education happening."

I stopped Bella and gave her a confused look.

"You don't want to come to school because there are no classes? You're the complete opposite of every student in this school, you know that? They don't want to come to school because there _are _classes. Besides, it's a chance to hang out with friends the whole day and not get detention for slacking off. And you never know – you may like it." I waited for her reaction. Surely she'd want to come to see me?

"I don't know, Edward. I don't really see the point –,"

"Promise me," I cut in quickly. "Promise me you'll come tomorrow."

Bella stood and stared at me for a moment. I could see the contemplation in her eyes now. She sighed again.

"Fine, I'll come. But if I have a terrible time, I'm blaming you," she said as she continued towards the cafeteria.

"Sounds fair to me," I agreed.

x

The next day I borrowed one of Emmett's spare football jerseys that conveniently had 'Cullen' printed on the back. It was one that Emmett had outgrown and now only got used by Rosalie as a night shirt. It was typical of students to wear school colours, so I would blend in today.

I pulled up in the school parking lot and after getting out and locking the car, I leaned against the driver's side door. I'd noticed that Bella's truck wasn't in the parking lot yet, but I wasn't surprised. Alice had wanted to get to school early and get a start on her task for the day – she was helping the cheerleaders with one of their routines; she was the smallest and lightest in the school, so one of the girls on the squad asked if she would volunteer as a substitute for the day. Alice wasn't the slightest bit interested in being a cheerleader, but since she didn't want to get stuck doing her assigned task – she wouldn't tell me what she'd been assigned to and I hadn't thought to check the lists for myself – she agreed to help the cheer squad.

Jasper stood and waited with me as I waited for Bella to arrive. We just stood and talked about random things until Jasper glanced down at his watch.

"Edward, the first bell's about to ring… if she was coming, don't you think she'd be here by now?" he asked. I frowned and checked my own watch. He was right. The bell was about to ring and Bella was nowhere to be seen.

"Maybe she's running late," I said then. "You go on ahead. I'll wait for a few more minutes and catch up with you later."

"Okay, see you," he said, pushing off the side of the Volvo and waving as he walked away. I hated the look on his face – sympathy.

A few short minutes later, I heard the bell ring. After another quick glance at the highway, I sighed and walked towards the auditorium.

Bella wouldn't go back on her word… would she? She promised.

That was the slowest day of school I'd ever had to endure. Well, recently at least.

It turned out that Bella did break her promise. I checked the parking lot several times during the day and each time, I walked away disappointed after having seen no sign of her beat up old Chevy.

I convinced Alice and Jasper to get a lift home with Emmett and Rosalie so that I could go to Bella's house. Alice put up a good fight, concerned for her friend, but finally backed down and let me go alone. I drove across town to Bella's house and pulled up in the vacant driveway. Bella's truck was parked to the side, so I assumed that she was home. I got out of my car and made my way to the front door.

I raised my hand and knocked a few times. After a few minutes had passed, I tried again. When there was still no sign of movement inside the house, I decided that she mustn't be home after all, so I turned to leave. I was just heading down the steps to the porch when I heard my name. I turned again, and saw Bella standing in the doorway.

"Bella… hi," I said nervously. I waited for her to speak.

"Hey."

I stood waiting for her to continue, but after a while, I realised she wasn't going to speak.

"I, uh… you didn't come today," I offered, hoping she would take that as a sign to explain things a little, let me know where she was and if she was alright.

"Yeah, I um… decided it wasn't worth going after all, you know? I mean, what's the point?"

"The point…?" I asked, disbelievingly. It was like she didn't even remember what she or I said yesterday; like she just brushed it off as nothing. I took a breath and calmed myself a bit before continuing. "The point is, you promised, Bella. You promised me you'd be there and you weren't. What changed your mind?" I started back up the steps onto the porch.

"You know, Edward, it's really none of your business," she said, biting her bottom lip. "But if you absolutely must know, I had a doctor's appointment."

"What? Why? Are you alright?" I asked, concerned.

"I'm fine," she said, sounding defensive. "It was only a check up."

I narrowed my eyes and glared at her sceptically.

"Last time I checked, a check up didn't take all day," I said vapidly, surprised that she'd had the audacity to use that as an excuse. I pinched the bridge of my nose and paced a few steps.

"I told you I don't like those kinds of events, Edward. And I never actually said 'I promise'. You just assumed," she said, her voice flat and sounding detached, while my anger flared.

"You have my number, Bella. You could've at least called."

And with that, I turned once more and left, leaving Bella standing in her open doorway – where she still stood when I glanced in my rear view mirror.

x

As I sat at the dining table with my family that night, forcing food into my mouth, despite my lack of appetite, Alice happily chatted to Jasper about Diego while Emmett rambled on excitedly about the football game he'd played this afternoon (they'd apparently won). My head was so full of thoughts and guilt – I couldn't believe I'd spoken to Bella like that. It's not like she has to check in with me every time she does something. And so what if she didn't want to go to school today? I shouldn't have a say in the matter. Now I have to apologise for being a superhuman moron.

I hadn't noticed that my siblings had all dispersed from the dining room table. I looked up from my still half full dinner plate and noticed Carlisle and Esme watching me sombrely. Carlisle had his elbows on the table and his hands cusped to rest his chin on them. Esme was studying my face as though she were trying to tell what I was thinking.

"Are you alright, Edward? You've done nothing but scowl at your dinner all evening," Carlisle said. I put my fork down and sighed.

"Yeah, I'm fine. I just got a bit upset at a friend today is all," I explained. Esme let out a relieved sigh, almost like she had been holding her breath.

"Oh thank goodness! For a minute I thought you didn't like your dinner. I did cook your favourite after all."

I smiled a little at Esme's misinterpretation. Leave it to a mother to worry that her cooking was not up to standard.

"Tell us what happened, Edward," Carlisle said then. I ran a hand through my hair and leaned back in my seat.

"Bella promised me that she'd be at school today and she never came. I went to see her after school to see if she was okay and I kind of snapped at her a bit," I said, sinking down in my chair a little more. I hated admitting I'd done something wrong to my parents, but I knew to be honest to them. Carlisle frowned.

"Is this Bella Swan you're talking about? The chief's daughter?" he asked.

"Yes," I replied nodding. I watched then, as Carlisle's expression turned thoughtful.

"She had an appointment with me today," he stated. I'd assumed there was a possibility that Bella had seen Carlisle instead of Dr Gerandy, and Carlisle just confirmed it. "Be careful with her, Edward. I don't want to see either of you hurt."

At that moment, alarms went off in my head. I sat up a little straighter in my chair and looked Carlisle directly in the eye.

"What's that supposed to mean? Carlisle, what do you know?"

He looked passive then, like he realised that he'd said the wrong thing. He thought for a moment, keeping eye contact with me.

"I'm sure that when Bella is ready to tell you, she will," he said.

I leaned back and pinched my nose between my thumb and forefinger.

"That's exactly what she said. Carlisle, if there's something I should know, please tell me. I'm her friend -,"

"And I'm her doctor, Edward. I'm bound by law, you know that. Doctor patient confidentiality exists for a reason. This matter is private until she decides to tell you."

I looked away from him then and let out a rugged breath.

"I'm just worried about her, dad. And you've just made the feeling worse," I said. I pushed my chair back hard, stood and walked towards the door. I heard Esme call my name, but I kept walking.

"Let him go, sweetheart," I heard Carlisle say when I reached the door.

I stopped once I entered the living room. I was now standing in front of my piano, staring at its sleek, black surface. I thought for a moment or two before stepping onto the low platform and sitting down on the stool. I took a moment to decide what to play before finally playing the intro to "Resistance" by Muse. I'd almost gotten to the end of the intro when I slowed it down, a new melody popping into my head. The sound changed, my fingers playing out the notes I heard in my head. The melody was slow at first, delicate. It was one of the most beautiful pieces of music I'd ever created.

I stopped abruptly to write it all down, in fear that I'd forget it later on. I scribbled away diligently on the blank manuscript paper, shoving the pencil between my teeth each time I stopped to play the melody out on the keys. Three hours later, with my composition still open ended, I stopped when my eyelids began to droop. Leaving everything where it was, I stood and stretched out my cramped muscles and dragged myself up to my room. I collapsed onto my bed after changing into a pair of sweat pants and was asleep as soon as my head hit the pillow.

**BPOV: **_**Starting the same day…**_

I planned to keep my promise to Edward. I was all set to go to school – I got up, got dressed and went to the bathroom to brush my teeth. I reached for the orange bottle that I'd finally managed to stash in the medicine cabinet… and found it empty.

I had a panic attack right then and there. I had become so dependant on my anti-depressants that I had a panic attack just thinking about the low feeling I'd have because I couldn't take them. I sat on the edge of the bathtub hyperventilating for ten minutes before I managed to talk myself calm. When I could breathe properly, I stood, walked downstairs and called the Forks hospital to make an appointment.

At a quarter to ten, I drove to the hospital for my appointment with Dr Cullen. I knew who he was of course, but I'd never had the chance to meet him yet.

I was surprised of how young he was. He looked to be in his late twenties or early thirties. If Edward had been with Carlisle and his wife for eight years, I had assumed that he would be at least ten years older. I studied his features as he looked over my medical record – a clean shaven chiselled jaw, a thoughtful smile, brilliant blue eyes, perfectly straight nose, _really_ nice blonde hair – he looked like a movie star.

"You've had a lot of injuries, Bella," he said after a few moments. The image popped into my head, of a humongous list of broken bones, scrapes, bruises and cuts that required stitches, and my cheeks flushed.

"I don't have very good co-ordination," I mumbled, not really wanting to admit it, but Dr Cullen just smiled kindly and nodded his head. He continued to glance over the papers in the folder.

"I understand you had a traumatic experience a few months ago," he started, "do you want to talk about it?" I paused for a few moments, deciding whether I should tell him or not. Wasn't all of that in my file anyway? Surely it should…

"I um… not today," I hesitated. Dr Cullen nodded as he peered at me from behind the antique mahogany desk.

"Okay, that's fine," he said, calmly. He continued to study my face as I sat staring down at the desk. "But I want you to know that you've made progress, Bella."

I looked up at him then, his eyes reassuring, but I shook my head.

"I thought I'd be over it by now. I _want_ to be over it, but it's not happening. Why?" I asked, practically pleading for him to give me an explanation or a miracle remedy or to tell me that I was insane and needed a white coat and a padded room. Instead, he reached for a prescription pad and began scribbling on it as he spoke.

"Everyone is different, Bella. We all deal with things as best as we can. Some people heal faster than others, while others take their time. Nobody's rushing you. When you're ready to move on, it will happen." He paused to smile warmly at me. "But I must say, Bella, your last prescription lasted for a lot longer than intended."

"What does that mean?" I asked, frowning.

"It means that you're ready for a lower dosage. This is the progress I was talking about. You have been taking less than the prescribed dosage, without realising it, which means that you have been feeling a little happier lately, am I correct?" he asked. I thought for a moment before nodding slightly. "I understand that you've recently moved to Forks within the last few months?"

"Yes, I moved here about two months ago," I replied, not sure what that had to do with anything.

"Then I can definitely tell you that a change of scenery may be why you've been feeling better. Being somewhere that constantly reminds you about what happened five months ago, wasn't helping you any. A new place can help clear your head and take that stress away. New people can also help. Have you made new friends here, Bella?"

"Yeah, a few," I replied and knowing he'd know exactly who I was talking about, I added, "Edward and Alice."

I couldn't decipher the look that came over his face; I couldn't tell if he was happy about the news or not. For a moment, I saw a flash of something… joy? But then his expression turned passive, confusing the heck out of me. Was it bad that I was Edward and Alice's friend? Did he not want me around his family?

"Right," he said thoughtfully. He glanced off to the side for a moment. "You can trust them," he said finally. "But Bella…" – he looked back at me, the look on his face was warning – "be careful."

Well, what the hell did that mean? Was there something wrong with _them_ now? He handed me my new prescription and dismissed me before I had the chance to ask. I did manage to stop at the doorway and ask, "You won't tell them, will you?"

He looked up from his paperwork and smiled.

"You may be a friend to two of my children Bella, but to me – first and foremost – you are my patient. Everything that's said in this room stays between you and me."

Relieved that he would not tell Edward or Alice about my past without my knowledge or permission, I thanked him and left his office, but that did nothing to deter the new feelings he'd instated in me. He said that I could trust Edward and Alice, meaning that they were good people, but why did he tell me to be careful? Was I to be wary of them or was what he said a warning for the opposite?

I knew one thing for sure… despite the fact that I _could _trust Edward, I had to follow the plan that I'd originally set for myself when I'd first moved to Forks… Don't let _anyone_ in; don't make _friends_ – someone's going to get hurt.

I had to cut Edward and Alice loose.

* * *

**A/N:** So, how did everyone like it? Or maybe you hated it? It doesn't matter! Please let me know in a review :) In fact, everyone who does, will get an exclusive teaser... but you have a choice! I have been working on a new fic called 'Stitches" - the details are on my profile page... You can either have an exclusive preview of that (it won't be published for a while yet!) or a preview of chapter 9. It's up to you, just let me know in your review!

Mel :)


	9. Chapter 9

**A/N:** Thanks for the reviews! I love each and every one!

This was supposed to be updated weeks ago… sorry! I got writer's block again :(

And I picked up my copy of The Short Second Life of Bree Tanner and I discover a character named Diego! How psychic am I?

And who's been to see Eclipse? Best of the three films, in my opinion! Even my younger sister – who doesn't like anything Twilight related – loved it!

We're getting closer to the drama! Read on…

**Disclaimer:** Twilight does not belong to me, it belongs to Stephenie Meyer! Yes. I am jealous.

**Chapter 9:** This Is What Friends Do For One Another… Right?

**Song:** "Whataya Want From Me" – Adam Lambert

**EPOV**

I woke up the next morning with the oddest feeling in the pit of my stomach; that feeling when you just knew something wasn't the way it was supposed to be.

When I got up out of bed and crossed the room to get a proper look out the floor to ceiling window, I saw the trees and back yard completely covered with snow. That odd feeling only deepened as though my hate for days without a ray of sunlight acted as a bad omen.

I sighed and paced across the room to the bathroom and shut the door behind me. I gazed into the mirror for a few moments for no apparent reason. The only thing I got out of it was noticing that I needed a haircut – my hair was getting a little long for my liking. I shook my head and turned towards the shower, turning on the taps before stripping my clothes.

I had time to think to myself as I soaked under the stream of hot water. I couldn't believe I'd treated Bella the way I had yesterday. Even worse, I was mad at Carlisle for first warning me to be careful with Bella and then not giving me a reason. And then I remembered the song I wrote and almost finished last night… I couldn't find an ending. I tried so many different melodies, but none of them belonged with the rest of the score. Something was missing that I just couldn't get a grasp on.

I turned the water off after a while and stepped out of the shower recess, wrapped a towel around my waist and brushed my teeth. And for the same unknown reason, I gazed at my reflection in the mirror, still not seeing anything out of the ordinary.

Something about my reflection seemed incomplete, like there was something missing – not physically – something beneath the surface. But then the thought came to me… I was probably going mad; completely insane! I shook my head, as if to literally shake the thought out of my mind. I walked back to my room to get dressed.

I was on my way downstairs when Alice called me into her room. She was sitting with her legs crossed in the centre of her bed, watching Diego going completely berserk attacking a toy mouse that she'd bought for him. I stopped in the doorway, but Alice patted the bed beside her, meaning she wanted to talk about personal stuff. I frowned, but entered the room and sat on the edge of the bed anyway.

"Edward, I want to talk to you for a minute," she said. I scoffed, unable to keep it from slipping out.

"Geez, Alice, I would've never known," I teased. She slapped my shoulder lightly.

"Don't make fun of me! I'm being serious," she retorted. I sighed and waited for her to continue, grinning. "I want to know something, Edward, promise me you'll tell the truth?"

I paused. The word 'promise' reminded me about what Bella said to me yesterday… "_I never actually said 'I promise'. You just assumed._" That had been a sharp blow, but it was true. She _didn't_ say 'I promise' and I _did_ assume.

"Edward?" Alice said suddenly. "What's wrong?" She shifted around so that she was facing me and made eye contact. I sighed.

"It's nothing, Alice. I just remembered something Bella said when I went to see her yesterday," I explained. Alice frowned, not something she did very often.

"What did she say?" she asked. I hesitated for a moment.

"It doesn't matter. It was my fault, I deserved it."

"I guess it wasn't good then," Alice replied, not pushing the matter. "But trust me, Edward, knowing you, you definitely deserved it."

"Oh, thanks for that," I said with bitter sarcasm. "But you're right, I deserved it."

"Do you want to talk about it?" Alice asked softly. She picked Diego up and sat him in my lap, like that would convince me. I immediately began petting him, without even thinking about it. I glanced down at him for a few moments.

"You're evil," I said to Alice with my eyes narrowed. She grinned none the less, knowing that I'd cave. Honestly, who could resist a baby animal? The pixie is a genius. "I kind of asked Bella to promise me something the other day and she just said "fine", not "I promise". She threw it back at me yesterday when I went to see her. But she didn't have to, you know? She could've called me or something," I paused and sighed. "Still, I shouldn't have gone off at her like I did."

"What exactly did you ask her to promise?" Alice asked. Here it comes… the part where Alice calls me a moron when she finds out what I've done.

"I told her to promise me she'd be at school for the pep rally." I braced myself, tensed up for the slap over the back of the head that never came.

"What, that's it?" Alice asked me, her voice flat. I glanced at her, surprised. She was frowning. "Yeah, she should've called."

"Wait, you're agreeing with me on this?" I asked. I was so sure I was in the wrong, but now Alice had me second guessing my second guessing.

"Well, yeah. She told you she'd be there, so she should've called. Just because she didn't say "I promise" doesn't mean she can opt out without letting you know. I mean, what if there was something wrong? It could easily turn into a 'cry wolf' situation. She could start saying she'll be there or do something and back out all the time, and because you'll get sick of it, you'll just stop believing her. Then if something really does happen to her, you won't know because you'll have thought she's just gone back on her word _yet again_ and the whole thing can get very messy," she rambled. I was beginning to think that she was just saying this to console me, but when I thought about it, she's Bella's friend also – she was probably consoling herself more than I – she worries about Bella too.

"You're sure?" I asked. She nodded only once, but it was affirmative.

"Yes. I'm absolutely certain."

"Okay," I replied. I placed Diego back into Alice's lap and stood. "I'll see you downstairs." I was half way across the room when I remembered that Alice had called me in here for a reason and I turned back. "Sorry Alice, you were going to talk to me about something?" Alice paused for a moment to think, and then her face brightened.

"Oh, I was going to ask you something! Sit for a minute," she instructed. I walked back over to her bed and sat once again. Alice however, stood and danced across the room to her closet. She disappeared for a few moments and re-emerged with a medium sized gift box. She jumped back onto the bed and sat in the middle again. She opened the box and inside were papers of some kind. They all appeared to be copies of old documents. I glanced questioningly at her and reached for the box. She handed it over without a word and let me look through it.

"Alice, what are these? I keep seeing the name Whitlock."

"These are Jasper's ancestors. I did some digging on the internet and found out that his mother married twice," she said. I stared at her now, letting that bit of information sink in.

"He's not a Hale?" I asked incredulously. She shook her head.

"He's a Whitlock. I've known for a while now, and so has he, but he wanted to find some proof before he went informing people, especially Rosalie. What would you do if your cousin found out you weren't blood related like they'd always thought you were? Rosalie will take it pretty hard because she's conceited about stuff like that. I mean, they're still cousins, but only by marriage," Alice explained. I nodded absent-mindedly while I thought.

"So what's with all these papers anyway?" I asked, curious as to why she'd shown me.

"Jazz hasn't seen them yet. It's been almost three years since we met, and so I thought I'd surprise him with these as an anniversary gift," she told me. I smiled, finally knowing what she wanted to know – or rather – to be assured of.

"Don't worry, Alice. He'll love it," I said, giving her the box and tousling her hair. She looked annoyed for a few moments, but she was so happy to be guaranteed that she'd made a good choice that she grinned widely and threw her arms around my neck and thanked me. I chuckled and released myself from her hug.

As Alice went to replace the box, a thought struck me.

"Alice?" I asked and my reply was a hum from the closet. "Does this mean Jasper's dad is still out there somewhere?"

Alice appeared in the doorway of the closet and leaned against the frame before answering.

"Unfortunately, he's not. Jazz's mom was widowed. We don't know how Mr Whitlock died just yet, but hopefully we'll find out while we're digging through the family tree. Did you know that Jasper's ancestors fought in the Civil War?"

"Is that why he's so interested in it all of a sudden?" I asked, surprised and somewhat enlightened. Alice simply giggled and nodded her head. I chuckled before standing and finally making my way downstairs for breakfast.

x

When I pulled up into the school parking lot, the first thing I did was look for Bella's truck. I breathed a sigh of relief when I saw it parked a few spaces down from my own car, though I could not see Bella. Once Alice, Jasper and I were out of my car, I locked it and made my way towards the school buildings. I made a beeline for Bella's locker, in hopes of seeing her there before class. Thankfully, she was there. Once again, Mike Newton was leaning against the locker next to hers and was chatting away diligently, despite the look on Bella's face. She still hadn't warmed up to Mike in the two months of living in Forks. I didn't blame her.

"Bella, can I talk to you for a minute?" I asked her when I'd reached her locker. She stuffed a book into the locker and slammed the door shut with a bang.

"Mike, will you walk me to class?" she asked him, much to his surprise. He stared at her like she was crazy for a few moments, before finally realising that she was not blowing him off as usual. He stuttered a few times before agreeing and they turned and walked away. Mike threw me a weird, confused look over his shoulder.

Bella didn't look at me once. She just left me standing in the hallway without even acknowledging that I was there. Was she mad at me for what happened yesterday? If she'd just taken the time to talk to me right now, she'd have received her apology. But I knew one thing for sure… she was avoiding me. There would be no way she'd ask Mike, of all people, to walk her to class. Since she had met Mike, she'd done everything in her power to avoid him. Bella and I had one argument and the tables were suddenly turned.

X

I entered the cafeteria and waited in line to pay for my lunch. I'd grabbed a bottle of water and a baked potato without entirely realising it. I didn't care enough to be bothered with my poor choice.

I took a seat at my usual table, the one I usually sat at with Bella. I gazed around the room, looking to see where Bella was. I was mainly keeping an eye on the entrances, but after a while, I realised that she had already sat and begun her lunch. She had chosen to sit with Mike and Jessica.

I heard a chair being pulled out from my table and looked up to see Alice's worried face. She shoved her lunch tray down on the table and as she sat down, she slapped the back of my head.

"Ow! What the hell was that for?" I asked her, confused.

"Whatever you did to her, you need to apologise! I don't deserve to be pushed aside because of your stupid big fat ego!" she huffed and stabbed at her salad angrily. She shoved some into her mouth, but stopped suddenly while I rubbed the back of my head. I watched as she frowned at my lunch. She chewed her food and swallowed it before speaking. "You hate potato." She looked up at me then and her expression switched from anger to worry. Her eyes questioned me silently.

"She won't talk to me either. I tried to apologise, but she completely ignored me," I explained. Alice was just as stunned as I was. I sighed. "She's sitting over there with Jessica Stanley and Mike Newton," I said indicating with a wave of my hand. Alice glanced over at Bella with a look of hurt. "I have biology with her next, so I'll see if she'll listen to me then. I just can't figure out what's gotten into her."

I started poking my baked potato with a fork, with no intention on eating it. A hand suddenly swooped down between Alice and I and hit the table with a sharp slap. I damn near jumped out of my skin. I heard Emmett's raucous laughter before I had a chance to steady myself.

"Damn it, Emmett!" Alice squeaked. I looked over at her and noticed that her salad was now spread out over the tabletop. "You're _so_ buying my lunch tomorrow!"

Emmett just laughed and pulled out a seat so he could sit. He glanced down at my food.

"Dude, you hate potato," he said and I rolled my eyes.

"Why are you here, Emmett?" I asked.

"I'm not blind, you know. I do see things. And right now I'm seeing Bella sitting all the way over there instead of all the way over here. What did you do to her yesterday?" he asked. I was mildly irritated that Emmett was more observant than I made him out to be.

"I didn't do anything, Emmett, we just had a small argument," I told him, not wanting to get him too worked up about the situation. He narrowed his eyes at me.

"Whatever, it doesn't matter. But dude, even though you're my brother, that doesn't mean I won't beat you to a pulp if you hurt her. The girl is troubled, anyone can see that, but make her problems worse and you'll have to answer to me," – he paused for a moment to think – "…and probably the Chief," he added. He gave my shoulder a good wallop and stole my lunch. "Thanks bro," he said, standing and walking back to his own lunch table. Alice and I sat gaping after him.

"Has he ever done that before?" Alice asked. I was shaking my head before she even finished the question.

"He's never needed to," I replied.

"Huh."

Alice and I sat and waited for the lunch period to be over. Alice finished off what was left of her salad, while I just sat and waited for the bell. I'd just sat down in biology when my stomach let out a loud snarl and I mentally kicked myself for not going to get something else to eat.

I had to admit that I was nervous about sitting next to Bella, since there were no other seats available within the classroom. There was no way for her to avoid me.

The room filled slowly and eventually the seat next to me was pulled out from the desk. I kept my eyes downcast, occasionally glancing over at Bella as she sat with her back to me, whilst talking to Mike, who was standing in the walkway.

I tried not to eavesdrop on their quiet conversation, but I felt a dull throb in my chest when I realised that Mike was asking Bella if she'd be his date to the upcoming prom. I felt a slight reassurance when she began making excuses, but the feeling didn't last long… Bella had reached into her bag and pulled out her own textbook.

My heart thudded against my chest – just once – and I felt hollow, drained, as I realised that she wasn't intending to share mine, as we had done since her first day at Forks High. Perhaps it was materialistic of me to assume she would be mature enough to share the damn textbook, but there was a stubborn anger bubbling in my stomach telling me not to care; telling me to detach. Although I tried to cling to whatever sanity I had, my insecurities and hurt stamped down hard and my grip faltered.

The shades of grey were suddenly back as I realised that she didn't want any interaction with me at all. And as if to emphasise my abrupt sullenness, hail began pelting down on the roof. I glanced outside and watched as pellets of ice covered the already white ground. I could almost swear that I could feel the bitter chill from where I sat in the heated building, cutting and slicing like the hail, but also slowly freezing me from the seat beside me. After a while, the biting cold ceased – though I felt no heat either – and I numbed all over.

I only vaguely remember Mr Mason entering the room and beginning the lesson. I was called out for not paying attention a few times because I was transfixed watching the hail, but it didn't stop me from doing it. I think Mr Mason gave up after a while, when the only response he'd received was a lifeless "Yes, sir."

Towards the end of class, I heard a page being torn from a notebook, but I didn't bother to look. The bell rang shortly after and I slowly packed my books into my bag. By the time I stood to leave, Bella had already vacated the seat next to me. However, Mike Newton remained, gazing at me expectantly, though unassured. I paused and waited for him to say something, since I could tell he was going to.

"Uh… Bella wanted me to give you this," he said reluctantly and held something out to me. I gazed down at the folded piece of paper in his hand, but made no move to take it. I looked back up, but not at Mike, and began walking. I brushed past him without a word and left him standing in the aisle with the folded paper still between his thumb and forefinger. "O-kay?" I heard him mumble as I left the classroom.

I walked slowly down the hallway, my eyes trained on the tiled floor. I was walking aimlessly, but realised that all I wanted was to go home. Instead of making a detour around my Spanish classroom, where Emmett would be expecting me to turn up, I walked right on by.

I was halted suddenly by a heavy hand on my shoulder before I could make it outside. Emmett stood with a perplexed look upon his face.

"Dude, Spanish class is _this_ way," he said, jerking his thumb to point the direction of the classroom. I didn't hesitate when I answered him.

"Em, can you give Alice and Jasper a ride home? I'm not feeling that well, so I'm leaving now."

"Uh… sure, no problem," he said, releasing his grip on my shoulder. He then eyed me warily. His brows furrowed before a slight look of recognition spread across his face. Oh yeah, he knew. He knew I'd reverted back to the way I was before Bella arrived. Something in his eyes recognised that this time was worse. I turned to leave and he called my name, but didn't try to stop me from going. I stopped and turned to face him. "Don't go there again. Please? It kills us to see you like that. You know how Esme's gonna react if –"

He cut his sentence short when I did nothing at all – I didn't blink, roll my eyes or change my expression in any way, like I would normally do. I could see him forfeit as he shook his head exasperatedly. As he turned and headed back to the Spanish classroom, I stood for a few moments watching him.

"Damn it!" he yelled as he smashed his fist into the nearest locker. There was a loud bang followed by the startled yelps of nearby students.

I knew it was wrong on so many levels, but I just couldn't find it within myself to care. I turned and made my way to the parking lot, got in my car and drove home without even glancing at the silent stereo.

When I arrived at home, I went straight for the stairs. I climbed up both flights and once I was in my room, I shut the door behind me. I was lying on my bed for a whole of a minute before I heard Esme's voice.

"Hello? Who's here? Edward, is that you?" she called out. I heard a knock on my door before it opened a crack. "Oh, thank goodness. Edward, what are you doing home so early? You almost gave me a heart attack. I thought there may have been an intruder," she said then, gazing at me from the doorway. She must have sensed that something was amiss because she crossed the room looking concerned.

"Edward, what's the matter? You look terrible."

I stared up at my ceiling for a few moments before replying.

"I'm fine," I told her, my voice flat. Esme sat on the edge of my bed before she spoke.

"You don't look fine, Edward. If you're feeling sick, maybe I should call Carlisle." She reached over and placed her palm on my forehead to make sure I was not running a fever. I turned my head away from her.

"I'm not sick," I said.

"Then what's the matter?" she asked me again. I really wasn't in the mood for this; I wasn't in the mood for anything, besides being alone for a while. When I didn't reply Esme asked, "Well can I at least get you anything? Something to eat or drink, maybe?"

"Some space?" I asked somewhat pleasantly, not wanting to be completely rude to the woman who'd cared for me since I was nine years old. I heard her gasp softly, not expecting my answer. However, she agreed after a moment and left the room.

I stayed spread out on my bed for a while, but the thoughts that ran around in my mind were getting to be too much. I sat up and reached over to the nightstand and pulled my leather bound journal from the drawer. I scrambled around in the bottom of the drawer for a pen and once I had found one, I opened the journal to a new page and immediately started writing.

_I feel hollow, like I've bargained my soul away for something infinitely more appealing, only to have it go completely awry –_ _kind of like Dorian Gray. And it's entirely my fault that I feel like this._

x

The others arrived home at the usual time. It didn't take long for Alice to find me though. She knocked rapidly on my bedroom door, but didn't wait for an invitation. I was standing and staring out of my bedroom window when she stomped into the room. She was livid over something and it didn't take long to find out what she was so worked up over.

"Because of you, _Edward_, I got cornered by Mike Newton in the hallway outside my English classroom!" she snapped while making her way over to me. She bluntly reached up and shoved my side. I just stood there and let her do it. I stumbled a bit, but luckily there was no furniture nearby to fall over. I just kept on staring out the window. "You seriously couldn't have taken the note from Newton?"

I shrugged my shoulders, not caring.

"Don't shrug your shoulders at me! I want a proper answer! Look at me, Edward!" she demanded. I turned to look at her and she stopped. Her face changed – just like Emmett's had – into that look of recognition. She stood gaping and I looked away. Unfortunately, my eyes shifted to something over her shoulder… my own reflection staring back at me from the bathroom mirror. I shut my eyes and looked away, unable to stand seeing my own dead expression as I made a mental note to shut the bathroom door from now on. I returned to staring out the window as I realised that when I stood gazing at my reflection this morning, I was taking one last look at myself before I died.

"So… I read the letter – I didn't think you'd mind. Want me to read it to you?" Alice asked then, her voice now taking on a softer tone. I took a deep breath, bracing myself. Alice understood and unfolded the paper.

"_Edward, I'm sorry about yesterday, I really am. I was upset and took it out on you. There's no excuse for my behaviour. I wouldn't let you apologise to me this morning because it wasn't your place to._

"_But I'm sitting here in Biology in agony because I can see what I have done. I've never seen you like this before – unresponsive, empty. I want so badly to turn and talk to you, but I'm too afraid. I'm a coward because I think I would break completely if I spoke to my best friend, only to be turned down by the same treatment I inflicted on him. I would deserve it of course, but I wouldn't have been able to handle it._

"_If you can find it in your heart to forgive me, I'd like to ask just one favour… wait for me to speak to you first. I need a bit more time to sort out my demons and I simply ask for distance because I don't want to burden you or get you tangled up in them._

"_Please don't give up on me just yet. I just need a little time._

"_Tell Alice I'm sorry. I didn't mean for her to be dragged into this. It wasn't my intention for her to become a casualty in my internal war. I didn't even think collateral damage was possible._

"_There is one thing I can do though. I can _promise_ – for real this time – that I will make it up to the both of you._

"_I promise._

"_I promise._

"_I promise._

"_Bella."_

As Alice finished reading the letter, I was only vaguely aware of the pain on my scalp… my fists clenched my hair so tight that my knuckles were white. How _dare_ she take the full blame for this! If it was anyone's fault, it was completely mine! It made sense to me now of course, why she wouldn't allow me to talk to her today – though her reasoning was so far off course – because I wouldn't have let her get a word in, making sure my own apology was heard. I probably wouldn't have accepted hers; I was stubborn like that… and the revelation stung.

I was _that_ selfish.

"Edward?" Alice caught my attention. My breathing had become laboured and I was so angry at myself and Bella that my vision was blurred.

"How can she just-? How could _I_-? …I want to break something!" I spat quickly through my teeth. As quick as a flash, Alice gripped my elbow firmly and dragged me staggering out my bedroom door and down both flights of stairs. When we reached the living room, Jasper and Emmett jumped up out of their seats in front of the television and began asking what was going on. Alice shouted at them to stay where they were before leading me out into the back yard and towards the forest. Alice stopped before we entered the trees surrounding the property, but gave me a hard shove to get me going. My bad temper drove me from there on. I snapped a bare limb the width of a broomstick from a tree as I passed it and when I decided that it was sturdy enough, I began hitting everything and anything I could find. I found a rotted, hollow log beside the river and began hammering on it until it began to cave under my blows. After a while I got tired if hitting things and took to throwing baseball sized granite rocks across the river. Eventually my energy ran down and as I heaved one last rock into the air, I heard an agonised yell pierce through the forest. It took me a second to realise that I was the one yelling, but I didn't stop until my lungs were completely drained of oxygen.

Shaking, I used a large boulder to guide myself into a sitting position on the ground, physically and emotionally spent. I just sat there for a while to catch my breath and after a while I heard footsteps coming towards me. I looked up and saw Alice walking over to me calmly, weaving between some ferns that were overgrowing the trail. She took a seat beside me.

"Feeling better?" she asked after a moment. I sighed, exhausted.

"Yeah," I replied. My head was spinning a little, but I assumed that was because I hadn't caught my breath yet. We just sat for a while, waiting for me to stop shaking from exertion. I focused on my breathing and listened to the quiet rustling of the trees around us. I noticed the lack of bird calls, but it didn't surprise me – I came in here making such a racket that I most likely scared them all away.

"I'm such a fucking idiot," I said after a while, breaking the silence. It took me a moment to realise I'd slipped and sworn in front of a girl – something I usually avoided because I thought it was rude – but Alice giggled none the less.

"Yeah, sometimes," she teased. I couldn't help but laugh along with her. "Oh, see? A smile. I was beginning to miss it," she said, nudging me with her shoulder. I wrapped an arm around her neck and kissed the top of her head quickly before releasing her.

"Come on, let's head back before my ass is completely saturated from sitting on the damp ground," I said, pulling myself up off the forest floor. I'd completely forgotten that it had snowed overnight – not to mention hail during the day – having melted during the day.

"Good idea," Alice agreed. She began to lead the way, but stopped abruptly. "Edward?"

"What? Is something wrong?" I asked, worried that she'd seen a bear or something.

"Oh, no, nothing like that. I just wanted to ask you something," she replied flippantly.

"Fire away."

"Will you give me a piggyback?"

I stared at her, dumbfounded for a moment, trying to decide if she was for real. It was only when she brought out the puppy-dog eyes and the pout that I realised that she was.

"Alright, Alice," I said, rolling my eyes and grinning, "why the hell not?" I turned my back to her as she squealed in delight and I crouched so she could clamber up onto my back. In just moments, I was holding Alice's legs on either side of my hips and she had her arms wrapped securely around my neck. It was times like these, when I began to wonder if Alice really was seventeen – she acts so much younger. Her tiny frame was so light, but having just worn myself out, it was still difficult to hold onto her. "Just a warning in advance… if I drop you, it's not my fault. I'm pretty drained after all that." Alice huffed at me in return.

"What are you waiting for? Go, go!" she said eagerly. I rolled my eyes again and shook my head, but started walking regardless.

It didn't take long to reach the edge of the trees at the back of the house. I noticed as I carried Alice across the grass towards the backyard, that Emmett, Jasper and Esme were standing on the patio waiting for us. I saw Esme breathe a sigh of relief as she sat at the patio table. Jasper placed a hand on her shoulder. She must have been pretty worried, since I stormed – well, got dragged by Alice – out without a word. I couldn't begin to imagine what was going through her mind, but I assumed confusion would be a likely emotion.

I managed to get all the way to the patio before I let Alice down, though my arms had been aching for a while. I made a mental note to do more exercise; I was so out of shape!

It didn't take long for the bombardment of questions from my brothers or the exclamations of concern from Esme to begin. I was stuck in one of those awkward situations where everyone is talking at once and then suddenly they all say "Well?" – leaving a silence where I'm supposed to answer all of their questions at once. Of course, I could just shrug and let them figure it out, but Esme at least deserved a proper answer. So I decided to reply to her first.

"I'm sorry, Esme. I had a rough time at school today and I needed to let loose a little. I promise I'll never worry you like that again," I said as she stood. She wrapped her arms around me in a hug and I reciprocated. Over her shoulder I saw Emmett pretending like he was crying over a chick flick. He was even fanning his face with one hand and holding the other over his heart. I rolled my eyes at him and he grinned like an idiot.

When Esme let me go, she looked up at me smiling.

"I would like to talk to you for a minute, if that's okay, Edward," she said then. I nodded and followed her when she turned and walked back into the house. She walked into the living room and stopped by my piano. "Here will do. Please, take a seat." She gestured to the piano stool and I sat, leaving enough room for Esme to sit beside me. As we were sitting with our backs to the piano, we didn't miss Alice when she crept into the room and tried to eavesdrop on our conversation. "Alice," Esme reprimanded. Alice then huffed and trudged across the room past us and up the stairs, shutting her bedroom door audibly. I sighed – she'd only wrangle it out of me later anyway.

"So what did you want to talk to me about?" I asked Esme after a few moments of silence. She had been gazing at me steadily for the moments before.

"What happened just now – that was about Bella?" she asked and I looked up at her, surprised. I stared at the floor for a few seconds before nodding. I leaned forward and rested my elbows on my knees, clasping my hands together. Esme reached over and tried to smooth out my hair, though she knew better than anyone that it was an impossible task. "You really care about her, don't you?"

"Well, yeah. I mean, she's my friend and everything. Isn't that what I'm supposed to do?" I asked. Esme inhaled deeply.

"You make it sound like a friendship is a duty, Edward. It's not about what you are and are not supposed to do. A friendship should come easily; naturally. There are often complications, but it's nobody's _duty_ to fix it. You should be there for each other, yes, but you shouldn't feel like you have to take the full responsibility, just because the other person is important to you. It's too much for you to handle, Edward. Complications are meant to be shared and worked through together."

I sat and thought for a few moments, letting her words sink in. _It's not about what you are and are not supposed to do…_ That's exactly what had happened. We were following the pre-emptive notions of friendship – the imaginary rules that everyone seemed inclined to follow. _Complications are meant to be shared…_

"What if I'm not the one who's not sharing the complication?" I asked. Esme thought for a moment before she spoke.

"It depends. Is the problem personal, or does it involve the both of you?"

I had to think about that one. I really wasn't sure at the moment. Bella said in her letter that she had some personal demons that she had to take care of, but she also said that the whole of what went down yesterday had been fully her fault, though it wasn't – that was the part that was to be shared. So was it personal or not?

"Can I say 'it's complicated'?" I asked, smiling a little. Esme returned the smile.

"Of course you can, honey," she replied. "I know what it's like Edward, I've been there. The only further advise I can offer you is that time heals all wounds."

I nodded to myself for a moment. I then sighed and turned on the stool so that I was facing the piano. I lifted the key cover and played a few notes with my right hand in the higher scales. I let the last note ring for a few moments.

"Edward, I want you to do something for me. You don't have to say anything, just think to yourself – about how you feel when you think about Bella," she said cryptically, before standing and making her way into the kitchen. I was a little confused. It was a peculiar task she'd asked of me. Bella's my friend – I had just told her that. What more could I say? I frowned as I began playing _Pachelbel's Canon_. After a few minutes, a movement out the corner of my eye caught my attention and I stopped playing as Rosalie leaned against the banister of the stairs, her arms folded, watching me studiously.

"Did you want something, Rosalie?" I asked politely.

"I was just thinking," she said, standing upright and walking over to me, her arms still folded over her chest, "that if Jasper is best man, then you could play the piano at Emmett's and my wedding."

"You're _already_ thinking about that?" I asked incredulously. She rolled her eyes before speaking.

"Oh, as if you didn't expect it – we want to get married as soon as we finish high school."

"Rose, that's only a few months away," I said. "And isn't there usually an engagement first?"

"Traditionally, yes – and not that I wouldn't mind a diamond the size of a golf ball on my finger – but the sooner it's official, the better. To me, an engagement is purely for people who can't afford a wedding right away and have to save up the money. Since we don't have to do that, why wait?" she said, shrugging. I shook my head and continued playing from the last note I hit. Rosalie chucked and walked away into the kitchen. I wondered if she had even mentioned anything about a wedding to Carlisle or Esme yet. I supposed not – I would have heard something about it before now, if that had been the case.

I couldn't deny that they were in love though, and she did have a point when it came to being able to afford a wedding.

My thoughts lingered on that for a while. I eventually tried to imagine what it would be like to be in love…

I realised I already knew the feeling.

_Bella._

Goosebumps pebbled up on my skin as warmth flooded through every inch of me. My hands stilled, paused above the keys.

"Oh, god," I whispered, barely audible. I could feel my heart beating erratically as I realised what Esme meant when she told me to think about how I felt. "I'm in love with Bella."

* * *

**A/N:** Yay! He finally realised he loves Bella! But just wait until you see what happens next!

I am moving in about two or three weeks, so I will be very busy in the upcoming few months. It may take me a while to get chapter 10 done.

So, I am offering a preview to all who review! It will take a while, but rest assured, you will get one!

Until then, happy reading and don't forget to leave a review. (Tell me if you don't want a preview)

Thanks!

Melissa Kae :)


	10. Chapter 10

**A/N:** Wow! Thank you everyone for your reviews! I assure you, your efforts were not futile… a new job, new study and writer's block is a powerful and dangerous cocktail. This chapter was about 80% done before Christmas last year, that's when things got crazy.

**Disclaimer:** I don't own this chapter's song. Stephenie Meyer owns Twilight. Twilight owns me. I can live with that :)

**Chapter 10: **There's Something You're Not Telling Me  
**Song:** "Closer to the Edge" – 30 Seconds to Mars

**EPOV**

I was in an exceptionally good mood the next day. Not only was it two days away from the weekend, but I felt rejuvenated, having slept well after coming to terms with my own rampant emotions. Part of me was still trying to admit that I had fallen head over heels for Bella, while the rest of me – a majority, actually – overrode that and had embraced it fully. I didn't really understand the confliction, so I ignored it, deciding that it would go away with time.

One thing I was happy about was that I completed the new song I had been working on. The ending came to me so easily once I had realised that Bella was the inspiration.

Alice was practically bouncing off the walls. As soon as I walked into the kitchen for breakfast, she knocked the breath out of me as she ran at me, wrapping her arms around my torso and telling me how happy she was that I had figured myself out. Don't ask me how she knew… That freaky intuition of hers, I guess.

The first thing I did when I arrived at school was go to my locker. As soon as I opened it, a slip of paper fell to the ground at my feet. I hastily picked it up and unfolded it. It only said two words, but it was enough to bring a smile to my lips.

_Soon! Bella._

That warm, tingly feeling seeped throughout my body and a strong sense of hope bubbled up inside my chest. My day was getting better by the minute.

I decided that I should write a note for Bella too. As I sat in Calculus, I quickly scrawled a few words on a blank page in my notebook. Once I had finished, I tore it out, nearly getting caught by the teacher, folded it and slipped it into my pocket for later. As soon as the bell sounded, I was out of my seat and into the hallway before anyone else, surprising even myself, as I was sitting towards the back and the door was at the front of the classroom.

I passed Bella's locker on the way to Government, so I took the note from my pocket and slipped it through the vents of the locker door. All I could do now was wait to see what her reaction was. I wasn't technically _talking_ to her, per se; I was hoping writing didn't count. She wrote to me twice, so maybe if I wrote her only once it would be okay.

I was surprised by how fast the day flew by. Government, English and even Gym were over before I knew it, and I soon found myself entering the cafeteria for lunch. I joined the line at the food counter and found myself face to face with Jasper. He hadn't missed Alice's ecstatic mood this morning and he somehow knew it was something to do with me. Usually he would let me have my privacy, but his curiosity must have gotten the better of him, as he asked me what was going on. I told him it would have to wait until we were home, because I wasn't really comfortable with telling him in the middle of the cafeteria.

I joined my siblings for lunch instead of sitting at the other table. I knew for sure that Bella wasn't going to sit there, after all that had happened in the last few days. She wanted space for a while, and I could respect that.

Alice and Emmett had begun a heated discussion half way through lunch about Emmett, Jasper and Rosalie's upcoming graduation. Alice wanted to colour co-ordinate Emmett and Rosalie's clothing for them so they would match, which was fine, but they were disagreeing on the colour. Rosalie ignored them; she was too busy staring at me relentlessly with that smug grin on her face. She was creeping me out a little. Right before the bell rang however, she finally spoke.

"I know I seem uncaring towards you sometimes, but I really am happy for you, Edward."

It took me a few moments to get over the fact that Rosalie had just complimented me, before I found my voice.

"Thank you, Rosalie," I said, standing when the bell finally rang. I smiled at her for a moment, truly grateful for her sincerity, before heading off to Biology.

I was only seated at my desk in the Biology classroom for a few minutes before Bella entered and took her seat beside me. I looked at her expectantly for a few moments to see how she would react to the note I left in her locker. She didn't speak, but she slipped me a piece of paper that read, "Okay" and made a point of only taking her notebook from her book bag. I smiled triumphantly and pulled my textbook from my bag and sat it on the desk between the two of us.

I was electrically aware of her presence the entire lesson. I constantly gave her sideways glances, only to see that she was doing the same. I had the urge to reach out and touch her hand that was resting so casually on the desk in front of her, but I knew that if I did so, I could mess up the progress we'd made today. There was a moment when we'd both finished our work and were awaiting further instruction from Mr Banner, when I'd turned to look at her fully. It was a while before she noticed, but when she did, colour rose quickly to her cheeks and she glanced back down at her notebook with a confused expression on her face. Despite her odd reaction, I found her instant blushing to be adorable. I was also sort of smug that I could get that reaction out of her.

When there was five minutes left until the end of class, everyone was talking, having finished their work. Bella and I were the only exception – we sat in awkward silence, not knowing if we should speak or what to say if we did.

Upon hearing the bell ring, we slowly collected our belongings and walked to the door, side by side. Once we were out in the hallway, I gave Bella one last glance before sighing, waving and turning around to go to Spanish. I walked off sullenly down the hallway knowing that that would be the last interaction with Bella for the day.

"Edward!"

I was surprised when I heard my name and I turned back, shocked when I saw that it was Bella who called me and was stumbling through the flow of students to get to me. She had the most distraught look on her face, like she was about to cry.

"Bella, what is it?" I asked her, concerned, but I had to admit that it was a relief to finally speak to her. She wasted no time in replying.

"I can't do this anymore!" she blurted anxiously. All of the hope I had been feeling suddenly dropped to the pit of my stomach. She shook her head and gasped a few breaths before finding the ability to speak again. "I can't stand not talking, it's killing me."

I breathed a sigh of relief, having not noticed that I was holding my breath. For a moment I had thought Bella had changed her mind again.

"I'm so sorry, Edward," she said then. "This is entirely my fault. I should've just-"

I cut her off by placing my hand over her mouth. A shock was sent straight up my arm from the contact and Bella's eyes widened in surprise.

"No, Bella. This wasn't only your fault. I had a part in it too. We're both to blame and we're both sorry, let's leave it at that."

She stood still, studying my face for a moment before nodding. I let my hand drop and I smiled.

"I missed you," I said simply. I watched as the blush engulfed her cheeks once again.

"I – I missed you, too," she replied quietly.

Somebody rushed past me, bumping me slightly and I realised that the hallway was now almost deserted. Just as I was wondering what idiot would be too lazy to go around Bella and I when there was the rest of the hallway to walk down, I realised it was Mike and he'd most likely done it on purpose.

"We'd better get to class," I said, not really wanting to leave, but also not wanting to miss another Spanish class this week. We said our goodbyes and headed in opposite directions down the hallway.

I felt light-headed the rest of the afternoon. I barely paid attention in Spanish and I only realised that class was over when Emmett practically reamed me in the head with his backpack when the bell finally rang.

I walked with Emmett to the parking lot, as everyone had caught a lift with me in my Volvo today, but I noticed Bella on the way to her truck, so I made a detour, telling Emmett that I'd be back in a few minutes. I jogged to catch up with her, calling her name. She turned and stopped to wait for me.

"I wanted to ask you something," I said, jumping straight to the point. "Esme mentioned the other day that you are welcome to come for lunch this Saturday, if you're up for it?" I said, making it more of a question. I waited for her to think for a moment, not expecting an answer straight away, but she surprised me when she agreed in little more than a few milliseconds.

"Sure, I'd love to," she said, nodding in agreement. "Charlie's going fishing _again_ and it will be nice to get out of the house."

I gave her an amused half smile, thinking the way she said that Charlie was fishing made it sound like it was nothing new to her. I gazed at her for a moment, but I noticed after a while that Bella was staring strangely at me, her eyes glazed over. I cleared my throat, feeling a little awkward. She blinked and turned her eyes to the ground, her face turning that rosy pink that I'd gotten accustomed to seeing.

"Um... so, I'll see you tomorrow," she mumbled, reaching into her backpack for her keys, which she pulled out a moment later.

"Yeah, absolutely," I replied as she opened the door of the truck. We stood there for a while, not really knowing how to bid each other farewell. Eventually, I stuffed my hands into my pockets and shuffled my feet a little, while she tossed her book bag onto the passenger seat of the truck.

"...Bye," she said eventually, waving and climbing into the beat up old Chevy.

"Bye," I replied, but stood unmoving as she closed the door and started the engine. She glanced up at me one last time before shifting into reverse and backing out of the space. I walked backwards a few paces, not letting my eyes wander away from her, but as she shifted gears again and drove towards the exit of the lot, I turned and made my way to my own car – only to find that all four of my siblings had witnessed the entire scene.

And then to find that I really didn't care what they thought.

Friday was almost back to normal. Bella and I spoke to each other in the hallways between classes and sat apart from others during lunch – Alice gave us some space, which I was thankful for. Biology was another matter completely… we were given a pop quiz, so we couldn't speak to one another, but the electric feeling was back and stronger than it had been the day before. I was paying more attention to Bella than I was to my quiz – every time she tucked her hair behind her ear, every sigh and every scratch of her pen on the paper.

I managed to focus enough to write an answer for all questions… whether they were the right answers, I wouldn't know until I got the quiz back.

After Biology, Bella and I headed off to our final classes for the day, bidding each other a brief farewell. Although I was hoping to bump into Bella after class, it just didn't happen.

X

Come Saturday, I managed to wake up before Alice had the chance to barge on in and jump all over my bed again. I rolled over to glance at the clock and I groaned at the early hour. I realised that, filtering in through the curtained windows, was the dull pre-dawn light. I guess I was anticipating today a little more than I thought.

I tried to go back to sleep, but after half an hour just laying in bed with my eyes closed and the covers pulled up over my head, I became frustrated and got up for a shower.

I made some toast for breakfast and sat down at the island bar and gazed out the window. There were the usual grey clouds looming overhead, but there was a strong wind too, stronger than usual.

I went into the living room and turned the television on. I flicked through the stations until I found a weather report. As it turns out, there was a storm on the way, supposed to hit in the late evening.

I continued flicking through the stations, trying to find something to watch, but nothing grabbed my interest. I flicked the TV off and stood to head back upstairs just in time to see Emmett sliding down the staircase banister.

"You're going to fall off that thing one day," I joked. The day Emmett falls off the banister, would be the day I dye my hair pink – never going to happen.

"You're up early," he replied. I chuckled at him.

"So are you. It's only seven."

"Yeah, well I only just woke up. I'm still in my pyjamas and all. You've already showered. What's the matter? Excited to see _Isabella_?" Emmett taunted.

"At least I'm excited to see her. You don't seem that excited to see Rosalie every morning," I shot back. The grin dropped from his face and just as he was about to retaliate, we heard someone from the top of the stairs.

"As much as I _hate_ to agree with him, he has a damn good point, Emmett!" Rosalie said descending the stairs, still wearing her night clothes and some rather unglamorous bed hair. Emmett's mouth opened and closed like he was trying to say something, but words seemed to fail him. I thought he'd given up, but of course, Emmett is never left speechless for long.

"Rose! It's Rose! Come here babe and let your man show you some lovin'!" Emmett bounded up the remaining stairs and wrapped his arms around Rosalie and dipped her backwards and began kissing all over her face until she started giggling.

"Okay, okay, get off me you big oaf, before you drop me down the stairs," Rosalie said as she pushed him back so she could stand up straight. "You're such a suck-up."

"Yeah, but you love it," Emmett replied, grinning. I rolled my eyes at the two of them, considering telling them to get a room.

"You kids are up early."

I looked past Rosalie and Emmett to see Carlisle at the top of the stairs, fully dressed in his usual hospital attire.

"You're working?" I asked, knowing that Carlisle was supposed to have the day off.

"Yes, but just until mid-afternoon. Dr Matthews called half an hour ago and cashed in a favour I owed him. He's going away for a few days and due to the storm that's coming he booked an earlier flight out of Seattle," he replied, descending the stairs quickly, sidestepping Rosalie and Emmett who had not budged. "You know, Edward, I was looking forward to seeing Bella outside of work."

I nodded. I was also a little disappointed that he wouldn't get to see Bella today. Knowing her as her doctor was one thing, knowing her as his son's friend was a different matter entirely, and I wanted Carlisle to know Bella as my friend, not as his patient.

I said goodbye to Carlisle and headed up the stairs. When I walked past Jasper's room, I couldn't help but chuckle at his hearty snores. He was so loud, I was surprised Alice hadn't been woken by them in her room across the hall and gone and socked him over the head with a pillow to shut him up. At least some people managed to sleep in.

I had just opened the door of my room and found Alice sitting on my black leather sofa, her legs pulled up to her chest, her arms wrapped around her legs and her chin resting on her knees. Her hair was a mess and she had dark rings under downcast eyes, her face was pinched and she looked like she hadn't slept.

"Alice?" I asked, concerned. There had only been one other time that I'd seen her like this, and it hadn't been good the last time. She immediately shifted her posture – unravelling her legs and wrapping her arms around her chest instead as she gazed worriedly up at me.

"I have a really bad feeling," she said. "And it's making me have a weird urge to cry." Her voice was shaking and her breathing was uneven. I walked over and sat beside her on the sofa.

"I'm sure everything's going to be okay, Alice." I tried to keep her calm. I didn't like seeing my little sister cry, especially since she was such a peppy person, day in and day out.

"No, no it's not! Something's going to happen, I know it!" she fired back loudly. Her outburst startled me and I flinched.

"What's going to happen, Alice?" I asked, looking her in the eyes and frowning. She sighed.

"I don't know," she replied quietly. Something in her voice sounded so helpless.

"You don't know?"

"_I don't know_!" Her voice had risen again and she placed her hands over her face. She was straining against tears, I could tell.

"What's going on? Alice?" Jasper had appeared in the doorway, with messy hair and shirtless. He was breathing like he'd just run up the stairs two at a time. He quickly walked into the room and took a seat on the other side of Alice. "Alice?" he asked quietly. He wrapped his arms around her and rubbed her back soothingly as she rested her head on his chest. "What's wrong, sweetheart?"

Alice sniffed before replying. "I barely slept last night. But I woke up at about five this morning and I had a really bad feeling. Do you remember the last time it happened, with Maria?"

I saw Jasper's jaw tighten, eyes darken and hands clench into firm fists. Nobody liked mentioning Maria if they could help it, especially after what she did to Jasper.

"Yeah, I remember," he said, his Southern accent coming out just a little thicker with the memories… or possibly lack of. I wondered if he really remembered, or if he just remembered what we'd told him.

"This time it's about Bella and Edward," Alice said.

She didn't mention that before. I felt a weight settle in the pit of my stomach.

"That's why you came up here instead of coming to me?" Jasper asked, understanding. Alice nodded.

"And you were asleep. I didn't want to wake you," she said quietly. Jasper, though still tense, placed a hand gently on her cheek.

"Now, you know that's nonsense. You can wake me up any time you need to. You're much more important to me," he replied. He leaned down to kiss her and I suddenly felt like an intruder in my own bedroom. I looked away and cleared my throat. I heard Jasper chuckle. "Sorry," he said. Alice giggled. We sat for a few moments not speaking, just thinking.

"So what do we do now?" Jasper asked.

"What _can_ we do? We don't know what's going to happen to prevent it," I replied. Alice's intuition only went so far. It was times like these when I wish there was more.

"Well, I know what Alice can do," Jasper said. Alice looked up at him with a confused look. "Alice can go right on back to bed and get some more sleep." He stood and pulled her onto her feet. He steered her toward the door and she didn't resist. If she had, I'd have sided with Jasper and told her to go back to bed. She looked a mess. Jasper told her he would be down in a minute and stayed behind with me for a bit.

"So what do you think is going to happen?" he asked. I shook my head.

"I don't know. I just hope it's not as bad as the last time," I replied. I sighed, stood up from where I sat on the couch, walked over to my bed and flopped down on my back. Jasper chuckled.

"It can't possibly be as bad as last time, Maria isn't involved," he said. I guess he was trying to lighten the mood. I propped myself up on my elbows and looked over at him.

"I walked past your room literally two minutes before you came up here and you were snoring. How the hell did you wake up?"

He grinned sheepishly. "It's entirely possible that I woke myself up."

I snorted with laughter and Jasper turned, chuckling and left to catch up with Alice. Even though that scenario was probable for most people, I knew that with Jasper, it simply wasn't the case. He always managed to sense heightened emotion, no matter where or what he was doing at the time – even while he was asleep.

Most of the rest of the morning was uneventful. I basically practiced the new song on the piano until I heard Bella's truck rumble up our drive at about a quarter to eleven, at which time, I went out to greet her.

As Bella had already climbed out of the cab of her truck, I leaned against the post at the top of the steps on the porch. The gravel crunched dully under her feet as she made her way over to me. I smiled and said hello.

"Hey," she said, before she bit lightly on her bottom lip.

"How are you?" I asked as she ascended the steps onto the porch.

"I'm fine. How are you?"

"I'm glad you're finally here," I blurted. Bella's cheeks flushed red and I chuckled. "Everyone's been kinda bored today. Rosalie's even taken to watching Spanish soaps," I explained, hoping to sound a little less fervent. There was no need to sound so anxious.

"Oh," Bella replied lightly. We stood there on the porch before I found my motor skills again.

"Let's go inside. I know Esme wants to see you again," I said, and led Bella inside. Esme was in the living room, fixing some of her floral arrangements. She looked up as we entered and smiled widely. She stopped what she was doing and walked swiftly over to Bella and I.

"Bella, it's wonderful to see you again. How are you?" She pulled Bella into a hug. It was amusing to see the shocked look on Bella's face. She certainly wasn't used to such open warmth from people she barely knew. "I'm sorry Carlisle couldn't be here today, as expected. He was called into the hospital this morning to fill in for a colleague."

"I'm sure there'll be another time," Bella replied, smiling slightly. "Those flowers are beautiful, Esme." Bella indicated towards the vase Esme had been fixing as we walked in.

"Thank you, Bella. They're freesias. They have a beautiful scent and they add a bit of colour to the walls," Esme chuckled, having just made a joke. The freesias were white, but noticeable against the starkness of the walls, adding more of a cream colour, rather than blending in completely. I rolled my eyes, but Bella walked right up to the nearest vase and smelled the flowers. She hummed and turned to me, her face lit up.

"Edward, have you smelled these?" she asked. I felt a little put on the spot. I lived in the house and I hadn't bothered to appreciate the effort Esme put into making the house a home. Smelling decorative flowers was one of the things I'd taken for granted, obviously. I cleared my throat.

"Uh, no actually, I haven't," I said as I smiled sheepishly at Esme. I was thankful that she just smiled back.

"Come on," Bella said then, waving me over to her. "You have to smell these."

I shuffled over to her and tentatively sniffed at the flora.

"Yep, smells like flowers to me," I stated, shrugging. They did. Don't all flowers smell the same?

"Oh my goodness, Edward!" Esme said, aghast. "You really are more like Carlisle than you give yourself credit for."

What did she mean by that?

Bella laughed. "It's not just Edward and Carlisle… it's more like the entire male population – those ignorant of floral life, at least."

I was almost appeased by that, had Bella not just called me ignorant.

"Hey!" I said to her, frowning.

"Oh, Edward, don't be so sensitive," Esme rebutted. "It's a universal truth." She laughed then.

"What is this? Gang-up-on-me day?" I asked. "Women are so cruel." I shook my head and turned to walk away from the both of them. I heard both Bella and Esme laugh, knowing I wasn't serious. I moved to the piano and sat on the stool. I began playing a few warm up bars, but was immediately interrupted.

"Oh, come on!" Rosalie said from the sofa. She and Emmett were watching television. "I thought I'd get a break from that thing when she got here. I can't hear the TV over it." She huffed and stood. "Come on, Emmett, we'll probably be better off watching this in my room."

"You two leave the door ajar, you know the rules," Esme said sternly. Rosalie rolled her eyes as Emmett trailed after her grinning.

"Aw, spoil our fun," he joked. Esme pursed her lips at him, knowing he was kidding, but letting him know that she was serious.

I continued playing, changing the melody into Esme's favourite. She sighed and her serious face softened. She smiled as a 'thank you' before moving off into the kitchen. Bella came to sit beside me at the piano.

"You Cullens are weird," Bella stated. I paused playing, chuckling.

"How would you ever come to that conclusion?" I asked hypothetically, grinning. Bella laughed.

And for a split second, her happiness was completely genuine, unrestricted, a sliver of what I'd seen in the photograph in Bella's home. It made me happier to see that being in my home made her more relaxed and carefree. I hadn't missed the way her face lit up over those freesias. I was beginning to see the real Bella.

"You really think all flowers smell the same?" Bella asked after a moment. I chuckled.

"To be honest, I've never taken the time to go around smelling different flowers," I explained. "But how are freesias different from others?"

"Well, it's not about how they're different – it's all about personal opinion. It's like having a favourite food. You can rave over one dish, while others don't see the appeal like you do," she said.

"So freesias are like that to you?" I asked.

"Exactly." She glanced down at the black and white keys and reached to gently press a few notes. They were nothing I'd heard before, but they still sounded beautiful.

"Is that an actual song?" I asked her. She stopped and looked up at me for a moment.

"No. Just random notes."

"We'll make a pianist out of you yet," I said grinning. "It sounded nice."

"Bella!"

Alice had appeared at the top of the stairs. She quickly descended the whole flight and she was soon right beside Bella and I. She hugged Bella briefly before perching herself on a chair sitting nearby.

"I see you're feeling better, Alice," I said to her. She grimaced.

"Well, not really, but we'll pretend otherwise. I got some more sleep at least. How are you, Bella?"

"I'm fine. Alice, I'm sorry about this week. I-"

"Oh, no you don't! No apologising. I understand completely," Alice reprimanded. "You hit a rough patch, we all have those."

"Alice actually had one this morning," I said to Bella. She frowned.

"Are you okay?" she asked Alice, who huffed.

"I just said no. But forget it, because I don't want to be a downer today," Alice replied hastily. "Let's have some fun!" She pulled Bella up off the piano stool.

Great, if there's one thing I didn't want Alice to say, it's that. Alice's form of fun often means something involving clothing or make-up.

"I propose we play some baseball!" Alice announced after a moment, her arms flung into the air, surprising me completely. It had been a while since we played, and now that Alice had brought it up, it really did sound like a good idea.

"Not until after lunch, Alice," Esme called through the kitchen doorway. "It will be ready soon."

Alice huffed in a deflated way, her arms flopped down to her sides and she half rolled her eyes.

"Fine," she said loud enough for Esme to hear, who replied with a polite thank you.

I snickered.

"Great, what are we going to do in the meantime?" Alice said then. She thought for only a second or two. "Bella!" she gasped, "You haven't met Diego!"

Bella frowned when Alice began leading her towards the stairs, tugging her along by the wrist.

"Who's Diego?" Bella asked and Alice laughed.

"Just the cutest little tabby kitten you've ever seen! Aren't you coming Edward?" Alice asked me over her shoulder. I thought for a second.

"No, its okay, you and Bella go. I'm going to practice that new song a little longer," I explained. Alice threw me a wink from half way up the stairs and soon enough, she and Bella were out of sight.

**BPOV**

Alice led me down the hallway past the other rooms, before opening her bedroom door and entering. It was only then that she let my wrist go, and I had to rub where her tight grip had all but cut off the circulation to my hand. She called Diego's name and a movement on Alice's bed – a tiny grey and black striped head popping up – caught my attention. Diego stood up and attempted to jump off Alice's bed, but seeing how far below the floor was, thought better of it.

"Oh, no silly, you're much too little to go jumping from that height," Alice said in a sing-song voice and scooped Diego up into her arms. She sat down on her bed and patted the duvet beside her. I sat beside her and she passed Diego to me. I wasn't used to being around pets because Phil was allergic. Gran had a little white Shih Tzu when I was a kid, but other than that, we never really had a pet.

"So where did you get him?" I asked Alice. She grinned.

"In Seattle. Jasper and I were shopping and on the way to the car, we could hear him near an alley. The poor little thing was soaked. He didn't have a collar or a microchip, so I got to keep him."

I sat talking to Alice for a lot longer than I'd expected. She talked so fast, I found myself concentrating to keep up. After a while, I told her I was going back downstairs to talk to Edward. She didn't mind in the slightest, so she happily nodded and told me I'd see her when lunch was ready.

As I pulled her bedroom door shut and made my way down the hall, I could hear Emmett's voice trailing out of Rosalie's bedroom. I paused near the door, though I could not see either Emmett or Rosalie through the tiny gap in the door.

"But I don't get why he shouldn't love her, I mean, she's an alright girl. She makes a lot of mistakes, sure, but he can't hold that against her."

I heard a huff and Rosalie spoke.

"Those _mistakes_ aren't mistakes. She knows exactly what she's doing. I can't believe you don't see that. She's been lying to him from the beginning."

There was a slight pause before anyone spoke again.

"She can't hear, right?" Emmett asked.

"No, she's in the next room," Rosalie replied.

"Oh, good. Coz for a minute there, I thought she was eavesdropping," Emmett chuckled.

I frowned. Who were they talking about?

"Hey, I just realised, the word 'beautiful' in Spanish is _bella_," Emmett said, sounding proud of himself.

"Jesus, Emmett, you'd already know that if you paid attention in Spanish class. And if you think you can get away with calling her _bella_ from now on, knowing what you now know, you've got another thing coming. You say her proper name from now on."

"Aw, what's the matter, babe… jealous?" Emmett ribbed.

I heard a slap and a grunt, but that couldn't distract me from my thoughts. I felt suddenly self-conscious – they were talking about me.

"I still don't understand why she just won't tell him," Emmett sighed. "It's not like he's going to hate her."

"He should. She's been keeping too many secrets from him. I don't know how he can even be her friend. I hate how he knows she's keeping secrets and letting her get away with it. He deserves better."

I'd had enough at this point, when my eyes began to water. I swiped at the tears with my sleeves, shocked and tried not to stumble down the stairs as I made my way to the living room. I took a deep breath and glanced about the room, glad that Edward had not looked up from the piano yet. He wasn't playing, but was writing in a notebook sitting above the keys. I put the practiced smile on my face, hoping that it would at least look authentic.

I made my way slowly over to the piano and Edward finally looked up. He smiled widely at me and I tried to do the same. His eyes probed mine subtly and I immediately wondered if he could tell I was upset.

"Bella, Edward, lunch is on the table," Esme said, walking out of the dining room. "I'll just go and call the others down and then we can eat."

Edward and I mumbled "Okay," before making our way to the dining room. We took our seats beside one another. I sighed. Edward knew something was wrong; he'd gone silent.

"Are you okay, Bella?" he asked finally.

"I, uh… yeah, I'm okay, I guess," I replied hesitantly. I stared down at the surface of the antique dining table, not wanting to meet his eyes. When he stayed silent, I couldn't help but look to see if _he _was okay.

The look on his face took my breath away. He was not mad or upset, but calm, tranquil; he had the most endearing look on his face, so full of utter concern, but at the same time, he wasn't frowning, and he wasn't smiling; he was completely expressionless, his emotions captured and held entirely in his eyes.

And his eyes said nothing but that which I recognised as… love.

My heart thudded erratically in my chest, my eyes struggled to look away. It took me a while to realise that I didn't want to.

I'd never felt that before. Or, maybe I had and just didn't realise it. Isn't this the way I always was around Edward? So why was I only just taking notice now? What exactly was _this_? Was this me acknowledging that I had finally… fallen in love?

I was suddenly exhilarated. This was new territory for me. The only people I had ever let love me recently were family members. I had even made a promise to myself that I wouldn't allow myself to get close to anyone, yet here I am, sitting with Edward and realising that if I had pushed him away, I would probably still be the empty person I was when I left Phoenix.

But I had not forgotten what Rosalie had just said upstairs. I was keeping secrets, lying to Edward almost every day… Hadn't I just said I was okay, when clearly I wasn't? He _knew_ I was lying to him, and yet here he is, still being my friend.

Rosalie was right – he deserved better.

I forced myself to look away, even though it pained me to do it. It was then when everyone else entered the room and took their seats at the table. I tried to hide behind a smile again, but I knew it wasn't working when Edward reached under the table and took my hand in his.

**EPOV**

It hurt, knowing that Bella was upset about something, but she wouldn't tell me what had her so distressed. I can't tell now, if this was something to do with her past, because her whole demeanour has changed. It seemed like this was about another thing entirely.

Lunch went smoother than the last time. Rosalie was at least civil and Emmett wasn't pouting. I held Bella's hand the whole time, after once trying to let go and she tightened her grip.

Alice all but forced everyone to play baseball in the back yard, though out near the trees so that the ball wouldn't go crashing through one of the huge glass panels on the back wall of the house. Bella reluctantly stepped up to bat, trying to talk Alice into letting her sit out of the game, to no avail. Jasper gave her an easy pitch, she swung a split second too early and the ball hit her square in the forehead. Only then did Alice let her sit out, apologising profusely.

Bella and I decided to go back indoors. The weather was cooling down dramatically and neither of us was as game as the others anyway. I decided then that I wanted to show Bella the new song I wrote. I led her to the piano and we sat side by side as before and I began to play.

"This song is beautiful, Edward," Bella said halfway through the composition. I smiled widely, glad that she liked it.

"Thank you Bella, but it's nowhere near as beautiful as the person I wrote it for," I replied, hoping she'd catch on.

"Esme?" she asked and I couldn't help but laugh. I played a little softer.

"No, Bella," I turned my head to look at her. "You." Bella stared at me for a moment, a little shocked it seemed, and I swore I could see the tell tale signs of tears. I got lost in her chocolate gaze and I forgot about the song entirely and my hands stilled.

We sat like that for a while, just looking at each other.

"Thank you, Edward," Bella whispered, breaking the silence. I reached up slowly and gently tucked a strand of hair behind her ear.

"You're welcome," I replied, just as quietly. Then there was more silence.

I leaned in slowly, gauging Bella's reaction. I saw her eyes flick down, then back up again.

I leaned further…

And further…

Within millimetres of our lips touching, Bella gasped and pulled back suddenly.

"_What are you doing_?" she asked, panicked. I frowned, not understanding what had just happened. She looked downright afraid, petrified. She began shaking her head from side to side. "No, I don't want this. I can't! I told myself I wouldn't…"

"Bella? What's the matter? What's going on?" I asked, alarmed. Bella stood and backed away from me, stumbling over her feet.

"I can't do this, not again," she said, her voice shaking and her breathing rapid. "This whole thing is a lie! You shouldn't – I'm not good enough for you!" She turned abruptly and ran towards the door.

"What? Bella, wait-" I started, but Bella wasn't going to stop. She grabbed her coat from the hook at the door and was outside before I could catch up. She slammed the door in my face and I could hear her fading footsteps making their way quickly towards her truck. I opened the door, just in time to see her slam the truck's door shut with a metallic bang and fire up the engine. I stood on the steps watching her leave.

The others found me a few minutes later sitting on the steps, slumped against the handrail, having heard Bella's truck leaving.

"Edward, where did Bella go?" Alice asked, standing at the top of the steps, Jasper, Emmett and Rosalie behind her, Esme sitting beside me on the step.

"Home, I guess," I said shrugging. "She just freaked and took off."

"What startled her?" Esme asked me softly. I glanced at her, before looking at everyone else. I fidgeted.

"I just played the new song for her and told her she inspired it. She loved it. But then we had a moment… She seemed to catch herself at the last possible second and ran from the house, saying things like '_I can't do this_' and '_I'm not good enough for you_'." I stared out down the driveway as far as I could see, thinking to myself. "Where would she even get that idea?" I huffed.

I heard a voice clear behind me.

"She didn't happen to be upstairs earlier by any chance?" Rosalie asked. I turned so that I could see her properly. She looked awfully guilty about something.

"As a matter of fact, she did," I replied, my voice flat. I had a feeling I knew where this was going. "What do you know, Rosalie?"

"Emmett and I were talking about the Spanish programme we were watching. We weren't really being nice about it," she said. She turned to Emmett. "I told you I heard someone in the hallway."

I hoisted myself up onto my feet, using the handrail for leverage, and went up the steps.

"What exactly did you say? Do you remember?" I asked, curious now, to hear the words that had affected Bella so deeply. Rosalie rolled her eyes.

"I was saying to Em that one character, Alejandro, shouldn't love Elena because she was lying and keeping secrets from him. I said that he deserved better."

I let out a frustrated noise and pinched the bridge of my nose between my thumb and forefinger.

"I can hardly be blamed for this," Rosalie said then, "She was eavesdropping. And why did she take it to heart if she wasn't guilty?"

I glared at her, astounded that she had the audacity to try to put the fault elsewhere. I wasn't going to blame her at all, but now that she had said that, I was quite happy to lay the blame on her.

"Rose, that's enough," Esme said then. She was now standing beside me and putting an arm around my shoulder. "Come back inside out of this cold at least. I'm sure Bella has gone home. Give her some time and ring her later and tell her she has nothing to worry about." Esme steered me inside and let me go as soon as we were through the door. I walked over to the nearest sofa, sat down and pulled my cell phone from my pocket. I rested it on my knee, ready to call Bella as soon as she'd had enough time to make it home. However, Esme swiftly swept it away and tucked it into her own pocket.

"I'll let you call her when I think she's had time to settle down. Don't be too hasty, Edward. You might scare her more." And with that, she turned and made her way back into the kitchen to finish cleaning up after lunch.

I sat for what seemed like hours, glancing up at the clock every so often to find that only a few minutes had passed. One knee began bouncing impatiently.

I was so lost in my reverie and glaring blankly at the clock, I jumped when the phone rang about an hour and a half later. Esme appeared in the living room and picked up the receiver.

"Cullen residence," she said politely. She listened for a few moments and as her expression changed, I became more alert. "Oh goodness," she said. "Is there anything we can do?"

There was a longer pause this time and I was growing more anxious with each lagging second.

"Oh, in that case, maybe the best thing to do is wait until you get a call." Another pause. "Alright, I'll tell him. I assure you, he meant no harm. I'm certain he'll be willing to help in any way possible," Esme continued. There was one last pause, then "Thank you, Chief Swan."

Before Esme had replaced the receiver onto the hook, I was up out of my seat and demanding to know what had happened.

"Calm down, Edward, getting worked up is not going to help anyone."

"Esme, please, just tell me what's happened. Is she okay?" I asked.

"She's fine," she replied. She directed me back over to the sofa and sat down beside me. "As soon as she got home, she packed a bag and left."

"WHAT?" I almost yelled it, not meaning to be so loud, but this news had taken me off guard. I stared at Esme, seeking further explanation.

"Honey, calm down. I told you, she's alright," she said softly.

"So she's just gone? She packed up and left, just like that? And I'm supposed to sit here and do nothing? I have to get out there, I have to find her." I was rambling now, struggling against Esme's grip holding me in my seat.

"Her father has assured me that she will most likely call from wherever she ends up. When he receives the call, he'll go and pick her up, but for now we just have to hold tight and trust that he knows what Bella will do," Esme said then, her voice soothing. I thought about that for a moment.

"But that's the thing, I don't think he does," I replied, trying to keep myself at ease. "Bella's stubborn. If she wants to leave, there's no way she's going to tell him where she's gone."

Esme's eyes studied mine for a while, eventually realising that I was right. I knew Bella better than her own father did. So that meant that we had to step in if we were going to get Bella back home, where she'll be safe.

Alice reappeared then, having been using a computer on the other side of the room, out of sight from where Esme and I sat.

"So how do we find her if we don't have any leads?" she asked, looking worried. I thought for a moment. Where would Bella go if she wanted to get away from Forks?

"We have one clue, though it may not help much. It's a matter of where she _wouldn't_ go. She won't go south. She won't go anywhere near Arizona," I said. Living on the Olympic Peninsula had its advantages, meaning she couldn't go west either.

"She'll most likely head east on the one oh one. It's the fastest route to anywhere out of here," Alice added. I nodded. But heading east meant she could be headed for Seattle.

"What if she's headed for Sea-Tac?" Esme asked, following the same train of thought as I. "She could catch a flight to New York for all we know." I finally shook my head, disagreeing.

"It's possible, but I don't think she'd leave her truck, she loves it too much. But she probably won't get too far in a hurry, it's an old vehicle, it doesn't get the mileage," I said.

"Okay, I get that Bella's up and gone, but why didn't Charlie stop her?" Alice asked, and I stopped, completely stumped. That was a damn good question.

"I can answer that," Esme replied. "Charlie didn't actually see Bella. He found a note on the kitchen table. She'd already gone when he returned home."

I nodded and mentally slapped myself. Bella had told me Charlie was fishing today. She had no one to talk her down when she arrived home.

"Chief Swan said we should hang tight until he has further news and I agree. Rash decisions aren't going to help in a situation like this," Esme said.

"But I can't just sit here," I said dejectedly and slumped down on the sofa. I felt Esme's hand on my shoulder.

"I'm sorry, honey," she said.

We were both surprised when the front door opened and Carlisle walked in. He hung up his coat and put his suitcase down by the door. When he turned, he was smiling, but it gave way quickly to a frown.

"Is everything alright?" he asked, pacing over to Esme and I.

"We just got a call from Chief Swan. Bella packed a bag and left Forks," Esme told him. He stopped halfway across the room and his face clouded with a look of utter concentration.

"Edward," he said after a few moments. "Can I talk to you in my office please?"

I frowned. He never asks me to talk in his office. The last time he did, I was thirteen and it was because I was in trouble for accidentally on purpose kicking Emmett in the balls. He gave me a lecture on the long term damage I could've caused.

I stood up hesitantly and followed Carlisle up the stairs.

When we entered his office, Carlisle shut the door behind him and put his hands on my shoulders so that I could look him in the eye.

"Edward, I'm about to break about fifty rules right now. Do you promise me you won't repeat _any_ of what I'm about to tell you?"

I stared at him for a few moments, wondering what he was talking about. I nodded and said, "I promise."

"Good. I'm about to tell you some things about Bella that breaks the doctor patient confidentiality code. Before Bella came to Forks, she was taking anti-depressants. When she came to see me the other day, I noticed that she'd been taking less than the prescribed dose. However, I renewed her prescription – Paroxetine – which is helpful if taken in the prescribed doses, but can be very dangerous if more than the recommended dose is taken. Edward, we don't know what frame of mind Bella is in. She is at high risk of doing something that can harm her or worse… I want you to try to find her. She won't be far with that storm on the way."

"Storm?" I exclaimed. I'd completely forgotten about it.

"A severe one, that's why I had to fill in for Dr Matthews today. There's no flights in or out of Seattle for the rest of the day. I want you to be very careful, Edward. Don't get too hasty on the roads. I don't want you in the hospital because you've wrapped your car around a tree. Now go. And keep in touch. I want you to call us every hour or so."

Just as he was pushing me out the door, a thought popped into my head. "Just, before I go, why are you asking me? I would've demanded to be the one looking for her anyway, but why not you or Chief Swan?"

"You know Bella a lot better than I do and if Chief Swan knew where she'd be, he'd already be out looking for her. As it is, he is not and she knows you, Edward. She probably trusts you more as well. Go!"

He didn't have to tell me again. I took off towards the third floor to get an extra set of clothes from my room, just in case. I grabbed my backpack and emptied the contents onto my bedroom floor and immediately tore open drawers and the closet, stuffing clothes hastily into the bag. I zipped it up and took off out of my room and down both flights of stairs. I grabbed my coat from the hanger and put it on before I opened the front door of the house. Esme was telling be to be careful when I closed the door.

The wind outside was already blowing heavily. I hadn't noticed due to being inside the whole time, but it was strong enough to make me stagger as I ran to my car. I got in, throwing the backpack onto the back seat. I started the engine and took off down the driveway with only the slightest chance of finding Bella by going off a hunch.

Would I find her? Would it be too late? Would she be harmed in any way?

I tightened my grip on the wheel and hoped like hell that she was okay.

* * *

**A/N:** I'm sorry for the long wait guys! I'm feeling a lot more creative all round lately, so hopefully the next chapter will be up soon. There is one more chapter and an epilogue for part one, then it's a break until part two. I have already made a start to the epilogue, so I will hopefully be able to post it with the next update. And about the second part… would you rather it in a separate sequel, or just continue updating this after the first part is done? I can't stress how much I _need_ your opinions! I would like to do whatever is easiest for you!

People who review get a hug from shirtless Jasper!

It's almost 3am... I'm going to bed!


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